H.R. 2150: Tracking and Reporting Absent Community-Members Everywhere Act (119th Congress) Bill Summary

This bill, titled the **Tracking and Reporting Absent Community-Members Everywhere Act** or TRACE Act, aims to enhance the tracking of missing persons and unidentified remains, particularly when their last known locations may have been on Federal land. Below are the main components of the bill:

1. Data Field Inclusion

The bill requires the Attorney General, through the Director of the National Institute of Justice, to add a specific data field to the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System. This data field will serve two primary purposes:

To indicate whether the last known location of a missing person was confirmed or suspected to have been on Federal land. This includes providing specific details about the type of Federal land involved.
To indicate if unidentified remains were discovered on Federal land, also requiring specific details about the location.

2. Reporting Requirements

Starting in the second calendar year after the law is enacted, the Attorney General must submit an annual report to the House and Senate Judiciary Committees. This report will include:

The number of cases where missing persons were last known to be on Federal land, broken down by the Federal land management agency responsible for that land.
The number of unidentified remains found on Federal land, also disaggregated by the responsible Federal land management agency.

3. Definition of Federal Land

The term "Federal land" is defined in the bill to include land owned by the United States, which is managed by the Secretary of Agriculture, the Secretary of the Interior (excluding land held for Indian Tribes), or the Secretary of Defense (specifically regarding land and water resources projects overseen by the Army Corps of Engineers).

4. Purpose

The overarching goal of this legislation is to improve data collection and reporting regarding missing persons and unidentified remains, particularly in cases that likely involve Federal lands. This is intended to aid investigations and improve awareness of such cases across relevant authorities.