75-712c. Same; reports of missing persons; duties of law enforcement agencies. (a) (1) All law enforcement agencies of the state of Kansas, or any political subdivision thereof, shall accept and process, without delay, any report of a missing person by any person at any time pursuant to K.S.A. 75-712b through 75-712e, and amendments thereto, and K.S.A. 2018 Supp. 75-712f through 75-712h, and amendments thereto.

(2) No law enforcement agency shall refuse or otherwise fail to accept a missing person report for any reason except when the law enforcement agency:

(A) Knows the location of the person reported missing;

(B) has confirmed the safe status of the person reported missing; or

(C) has confirmed that another law enforcement agency has already completed a report on the missing person incident.

(3)  The reports shall be entered into the missing person system of the national crime information center and the missing and unidentified person system of the Kansas bureau of investigation within two hours of receipt of the minimum data required to enter a record into such system, except as provided in subsection (e)(4).

(4) The law enforcement agency immediately shall commence an investigation based upon the elements of the initial reports.

(b) The law enforcement agency shall provide the person making such report with contact information and information concerning the national center for missing and exploited children and the national center for missing adults.

(c) Within a reasonable period of time, and in no case longer than 30 calendar days, follow-up forms from the national crime information center or the Kansas bureau of investigation, or both, shall be given to the reporting party, to be completed and returned to the law enforcement agency. The data reported on the follow-up forms shall be entered immediately into the missing person system of the national crime information center and the missing and unidentified person system of the Kansas bureau of investigation.

(d) The reporting party shall be advised to immediately notify the law enforcement agency in the event the missing person returns or is located. Except as provided further, the law enforcement agency shall immediately notify the reporting party if the missing person is located or contacted. The law enforcement agency investigating the report shall not give information to the reporting party if the law enforcement agency has reason to believe the missing person is an adult or an emancipated minor and is staying at or has made contact with a domestic violence or sexual assault program and does not expressly consent to the release of this information. Upon location of or contact by the missing person, the law enforcement agency shall clear the case in the national crime information center and Kansas bureau of investigation databases.

(e) (1) Upon receipt of a missing person report, the law enforcement agency shall immediately determine whether such person may be a high-risk missing person.

(2) Upon obtaining any new information concerning the missing person at any time, the law enforcement agency shall evaluate whether such person may be a high-risk missing person.

(3) A high-risk missing person means any person who is at heightened risk of bodily harm or death, including, but not limited to, persons missing:

(A) As a result of an abduction;

(B) under suspicious or known dangerous circumstances;

(C) more than 30 days;

(D) who have been designated as high-risk missing persons by another law enforcement agency; or

(E) under any facts or circumstances that would lead the law enforcement agency to believe such person may be at risk of bodily harm or death.

(4) Upon a determination that a missing person is a high-risk missing person, the law enforcement agency shall immediately and specifically make such determination known to the missing and unidentified person system of the Kansas bureau of investigation and cause the information to be entered into the missing person system of the national crime information center as soon as possible after the minimum information to make such entry is received.

History: L. 1986, ch. 155, § 1; L. 1987, ch. 331, § 3; L. 2006, ch. 37, § 2; L. 2013, ch. 43, § 2; L. 2016, ch. 9, § 1; Mar. 31