ORIGINAL SENATE ENGROSSED
FILE NO. SF0114
ENROLLED ACT NO. 31, SENATE
SIXTY-EIGHTH LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WYOMING
2025 GENERAL SESSION
1
AN ACT relating to criminal procedure; requiring the
acceptance of reports of missing persons by law enforcement
as specified; providing exceptions; specifying duties for
law enforcement agencies and peace officers related to
missing persons; making conforming amendments; and
providing for an effective date.
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Wyoming:
Section 1. W.S. 7-2-109 is created to read:
7-2-109. Reporting of missing persons; report
acceptance; duties and responsibilities.
(a) Each Wyoming law enforcement agency shall accept,
without delay, any credible report of a missing person made
to the law enforcement agency, unless at least one (1) of
the following occurs:
(i) The law enforcement agency knows the
location of the person reported missing;
(ii) The law enforcement agency confirms the
safe status of the person reported missing;
(iii) The person reported missing is not a
resident of Wyoming, and the most recent verifiable
location of the person reported missing was not in Wyoming;
(iv) The law enforcement agency confirms that
another law enforcement agency already has, is accepting or
will accept, without delay, a missing person report for the
person; ORIGINAL SENATE ENGROSSED
FILE NO. SF0114
ENROLLED ACT NO. 31, SENATE
SIXTY-EIGHTH LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WYOMING
2025 GENERAL SESSION
2(v) The person reporting the missing person is
unable to articulate reasonable knowledge of the missing
person or a legitimate reason for concern for the missing
person or the missing person's health, safety or welfare;
(vi) The law enforcement agency suspects, and
can articulate, that the person reported as missing
intended to lawfully flee;
(vii) The person reported missing is being
sought for reasons of harassment, stalking or retaliation;
(viii) Other articulable extenuating
circumstances exist, consistent with this section, that
would make acceptance of a report of the missing person
impractical, unreasonable or unsafe for the missing person,
and the law enforcement agency documents the extenuating
circumstances.
(b) The primary jurisdiction for reporting a missing
person shall be the law enforcement agency with
jurisdiction over the most recent verifiable location of
the missing person. If a verifiable last known location is
not determined, the primary jurisdiction shall be the law
enforcement agency with jurisdiction over the last known
residential address of the missing person. Nothing in this
subsection shall preclude or prohibit any other law
enforcement agency from accepting a report of a missing
person under this section.
(c) All missing person reports meeting the criteria
for reporting under this section shall be entered into the
relevant national, regional and state databases used by the
law enforcement agency for the sharing of missing person
reports. Reports required under this subsection shall be ORIGINAL SENATE ENGROSSED
FILE NO. SF0114
ENROLLED ACT NO. 31, SENATE
SIXTY-EIGHTH LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WYOMING
2025 GENERAL SESSION
3
entered by the dates and times required by law but not
later than eight (8) hours after the receipt of a report
and all required information for submission.
(d) If a missing person is not located within thirty
(30) days of being reported missing under this section, the
law enforcement agency that accepted the report under this
section shall ensure that a complete and accurate record of
information is compiled for the missing person, including a
photograph if available. The complete and accurate record
compiled shall be forwarded to the attorney general and the
division of criminal investigation for inclusion in the
clearinghouse database on missing persons established under
W.S. 9-1-624(a)(v).
(e) Upon receipt of a missing person report, the
primary jurisdiction shall request a photograph and
cellular telephone information of the missing person and,
without delay, notify appropriate law enforcement agencies
of the pertinent information and cellular telephone ping
results when appropriate.
(f) Upon receipt of a missing person report, the
primary jurisdiction shall evaluate the potential benefit
of notifying area news media and making an announcement via
social media channels that the law enforcement agency
routinely uses.
Section 2. W.S. 9-1-624(a)(v)(B) is amended to read:
9-1-624. Division of criminal investigation; uniform
procedures and forms for collecting and disseminating
identification data; missing persons repository; annual
crime statistics report; cold case database; agencies to
cooperate. ORIGINAL SENATE ENGROSSED
FILE NO. SF0114
ENROLLED ACT NO. 31, SENATE
SIXTY-EIGHTH LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WYOMING
2025 GENERAL SESSION
4
(a) The division shall:
(v) Act as a central repository of information
and operate a clearinghouse database on missing persons
from Wyoming. As a function of the central repository:
(B) The division may make publicly
available information about ongoing missing person
investigations, including reports of missing persons
submitted to law enforcement agencies under W.S. 7-2-109,
to aid the efficient investigation and swift recovery of
missing persons or when otherwise in the public interest. ORIGINAL SENATE ENGROSSED
FILE NO. SF0114
ENROLLED ACT NO. 31, SENATE
SIXTY-EIGHTH LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WYOMING
2025 GENERAL SESSION
5Section 3. This act is effective July 1, 2025.
(END)
Speaker of the HousePresident of the SenateGovernorTIME APPROVED: _________DATE APPROVED: _________
I hereby certify that this act originated in the Senate.
Chief Clerk