The Secretary concerned shall conduct subsequent inquiries into the whereabouts and status of any person determined by the Secretary under section 1504 of this title to be in a missing status.

The Secretary concerned shall conduct inquiries into the whereabouts and status of a person under subsection (a) upon receipt of information that may result in a change of status of the person. The Secretary concerned shall appoint a board to conduct such inquiries.

Whenever any United States intelligence agency or other element of the Government finds or receives information that may be related to a missing person, the information shall promptly be forwarded to the Secretary of Defense.

(1) Whenever any United States intelligence agency or other element of the Government finds or receives information that may be related to a missing person, the information shall promptly be forwarded to the Secretary of Defense.

(2) Upon receipt of information under paragraph (1), the Secretary of Defense shall as expeditiously as possible ensure that the information is added to the appropriate case file for that missing person and notify (A) the designated missing person’s counsel for that person, and (B) the primary next of kin and any previously designated person for the missing person of the existence of that information.

(3) The Secretary of Defense, with the advice of the missing person’s counsel notified under paragraph (2), shall determine whether the information is significant enough to require a board review under this section.

If it is determined that such a board should be appointed, the appointment of, and activities before, a board appointed under this section shall be governed by the provisions of section 1504 of this title with respect to a board appointed under that section.

(Added Pub. L. 104–106, div. A, title V, § 569(b)(1), Feb. 10, 1996, 110 Stat. 345; amended Pub. L. 104–201, div. A, title V, § 578(c), Sept. 23, 1996, 110 Stat. 2536; Pub. L. 113–291, div. A, title IX, § 916(c), Dec. 19, 2014, 128 Stat. 3478; Pub. L. 114–328, div. A, title IX, § 953(b), Dec. 23, 2016, 130 Stat. 2376.)