34 U.S.C. § 41308 — State requirements for reporting missing children

Each state that reports missing children under this section and section 41307 must follow four rules. (1) No waiting period. No law enforcement agency in the state may require any waiting period before accepting a missing child or unidentified person report. (2) No removal by age alone. No agency may remove a missing person entry from the state system, the National Crime Information Center database, or the NamUs databases just because of the missing person's age. (3) Fast, detailed entry. Each report, with all available information, must be entered within 2 hours of receipt into the state system, the National Crime Information Center network, and the NamUs databases, and made available to the state's missing children clearinghouse. For a missing child report, the required information includes (A) name, birth date, sex, race, height, weight, and eye and hair color; (B) a recent photo, if there is one; (C) the date and place of last contact; and (D) the category under which the child is reported missing. (4) Follow-up duties. After a report is entered, the agency that entered it must (A) within 30 days, verify and update the record with more information — including, if available, medical and dental records and a photo taken in the last 180 days; (B) start or help with search and investigation steps; (C) tell the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children about any report involving a child missing from foster care or a childcare institution; (D) stay in close contact with state and local child welfare systems and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children to share information and technical help; and (E) let the National Crime Information Center's state terminal contractor update the missing person record with new information learned during the investigation.