Lucian Act Would Provide More Tools to Find Missing People in Washington

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A public hearing was scheduled Tuesday afternoon on a proposed bill in the state Legislature that would provide more tools to help locate and recover missing persons.

Rep. Gina Mosbrucker, R-Goldendale, introduced House Bill 1512, which is also known as the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Persons and Lucian Act. Hearings on that bill and several others were planned at 4 p.m. Tuesday in the House Community Safety, Justice and Reentry Committee.

The bill is a recommendation from the Washington State Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and People Task Force and the Office of the Attorney General. It is named after Lucian Munguia, who was 4 years old when he was reported missing Sept. 10 from Sarg Hubbard Park in Yakima.

After extensive searches, Lucian's body was discovered Dec. 29 in the Yakima River about seven miles from where he disappeared. Mosbrucker was among the many community members who searched for Lucian and spoke with his family about naming the bill for him, the news release said.

The bill would require the Office of the Attorney General to publish and maintain on its website a missing persons toolkit that contains regularly updated information related to locating and recovering missing persons, according to a news release.

Among some of the information included, the toolkit would provide:

  • an explanation of how to report a missing person to a law enforcement agency;
  • an overview of the kinds of information that may be helpful to provide when reporting a missing person;
  • additional steps that may be taken to assist with recovering a missing person once a report has been made;
  • suggestions and resources for navigating difficulties that are commonly encountered during the process of reporting and recovering a missing person;
  • a list of counseling resources and assistance to family members, friends and community members of missing persons;
  • information developed in consultation with the Washington State Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and People Task Force for reporting and recovering missing Indigenous people; and
  • information specifically tailored to reporting and recovering missing persons who are vulnerable due to age, health or a mental or physical disability.

If the bill becomes law, the first version of the missing persons toolkit would be published by Nov. 1.