ChangeBridge / Mississippi / HB377 Signed by Governor
HB377 House Bill
Signed by Governor
2026-04-02

The Missing Persons Reporting and Identification Act; create to require input of missing persons in NamUs.

An Act To Provide Certain Procedures For Law Enforcement Agencies Concerning The Investigation Into A Missing Or Unidentified Person; To Require A Law Enforcement Agency To Initiate Certain Procedures Upon The Receipt Of A Credible Report Of A Missing Or Unidentified Person; To Require Certain Information About The Missing Or Unidentified Person To Be Entered Into The National Missing And Unidentified Persons System; To Prohibit A Law Enforcement Agency From Requiring A Delay Before Accepting A Report Or Requiring The Appearance Of A Next Of Kin Before Initiating A Missing Persons Investigation; To Require A Law Enforcement Agency Or The State Medical Examiner To Enter A Report Of A Missing Child Into The National Missing And Unidentified Persons System Without Delay; To Require The State Medical Examiner Test The Dna Of Unidentified Human Remains Using Forensic Genetic Genealogy Testing; To Amend Section 41-61-53, Mississippi Code Of 1972, To Define The Terms "unclaimed Human Remains" And "unidentified Human Remains"; To Amend Section 41-61-59, Mississippi Code Of 1972, To Provide That When A Body Is Unidentified Human Remains, The Body Shall Be Submitted To The State Medical Examiner; To Amend Section 41-61-61, Mississippi Code Of 1972, To Provide That Upon Discovery Unidentified Human Remains Or Anatomical Material Suspected Of Being Part Of The Human Body Shall Be Submitted To The State Medical Examiner; To Provide That The Willful Destruction Of A Body, Body Part Or Unidentified Human Remains Shall Be A Felony; To Require The County Medical Examiner Investigator To Enter Into The National Missing And Unidentified Persons System All Unclaimed Human Remains Cases Within A Certain Amount Of Days; To Amend Section 41-39-5, Mississippi Code Of 1972, To Require Any Physician, Hospital, Funeral Director, Embalmer, County Medical Examiner Or Other Person Acquiring Possession Of Unidentified Human Remains To Submit The Remains To The State Medical Examiner And Not Subject The Remains To Cremation, Embalming Or Other Destructive Treatment; To Amend Section 45-6-7, Mississippi Code Of 1972, To Require A Certain Amount Of Training Related To The Investigation Of Unidentified And Missing Persons For Law Enforcement Officers; And For Related Purposes.

Bill Details

State

Mississippi

Session

2026 Regular Session

Chamber

House

Official Source

billstatus.ls.state.ms.us/2026/pdf/history...

LegiScan

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Sponsors

Jay McKnight (Rep - R)
Fred Shanks (Rep - R)

Action History

2026-04-06 S Enrolled Bill Signed
2026-04-02 H Enrolled Bill Signed
2026-03-31 S Conference Report Adopted
2026-03-31 H Conference Report Adopted
2026-03-30 S Conference Report Filed
2026-03-30 H Conference Report Filed
2026-03-23 S Conferees Named Fillingane,Barrett,Hickman
2026-03-23 H Conferees Named Horan,Grady,McKnight
2026-03-18 H Decline to Concur/Invite Conf
2026-03-12 S Returned For Concurrence
2026-03-11 S Passed As Amended
2026-03-11 S Amended
2026-03-03 S Title Suff Do Pass As Amended
2026-02-17 S Referred To Judiciary, Division B
2026-02-13 H Transmitted To Senate
2026-02-12 H Passed
2026-02-12 H Committee Substitute Adopted
2026-02-11 H Read the Third Time
2026-02-03 H Title Suff Do Pass Comm Sub
2026-01-09 H Referred To Judiciary B

Votes

2026-02-12 House Passed Yea: 120 Nay: 0
2026-03-11 Senate Passed As Amended Yea: 51 Nay: 0
2026-03-31 House Conference Report Adopted Yea: 120 Nay: 0
2026-03-31 Senate Conference Report Adopted Yea: 52 Nay: 0

Committee Referrals

2026-01-09 H Judiciary B
2026-02-17 S Judiciary, Division B

Amendments

0000-00-00 Senate Committee Amendment No 1
0000-00-00 Senate Substitute No 1 for Committee Amendment No 1 Adopted

Bill Text Versions

2026-01-09 Introduced
2026-02-03 Comm Sub
2026-02-13 Engrossed
2026-04-02 Enrolled

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