Everyone,
NJ District Senator Loretta Weinberg will be hosting a Press Conference on Thursday, 10/19/06 at 11AM in front of our
house at 70 Chestnut Ave, Bogota, NJ.
We will discuss the introduction of a new Missing Persons Bill, S-2255, or Patricia's Law.
All are welcome to attend.
A draft of the Bill and Press Release are attached for your review. Links to NJ's Legislature are shown below
Background Information
Patricia's Law and the majority of its language were born over a year ago in April 2005 as Model Legislation at the
first National Strategy Meeting on identifying the Missing. At this conference, the National Criminal Justice Reference
Service brought together Federal, State and Local Law Enforcement, medical examiners and coroners, victim's advocates,
forensic scientists, key policymakers and families who have lived through this tragic experience to develop the baseline
Missing Persons' Model Legislation. The Model was now ready for the next step.
ProjectJason.org, a not for profit Missing Persons organization, facilitated the next step and called for volunteers in each
of the 50 states and the District of Columbia to retain a Sponsor to support the Model Missing Persons Legislation at the
state level. Campaign for the Missing 2006, a grassroots effort, was born and volunteers came forward from many states
to take the Model Legislation, tailor it for their respective state, retain a Sponsor and forge it into law. I took on NJ and
Senator Weinberg and her staff immediately embraced the new proposed Legislation, making NJ the first state to obtain
sponsorship and making it a reason for all of us to be proud. I know I am. At present, there are 22 states, including NJ
actively pursuing similar legislation. Seven of those, including NJ have obtained sponsorship. Three states have passed Law
in their respective state. For NJ, we are well on our way. Patricia's Law was introduced to the NJ Senate on
Oct 12, 2006. I encourage everyone to learn more about Patricia's Law and for everyone to contact their respective
NJ Senators, Assemblymen, and Assemblywomen to request their support for Patricia's Law when it comes to vote.
Click here to find your District Senators, Assemblymen & Assemblywomen.
Click here to enter bill S2255 (Patricia's Law) and track it's progress.
Click here for more information about NJ's Legislative Process.
Patricia's Law will provide HOPE to families missing their loved ones by:
- Improving the Law Enforcement Community's ability to locate and ensure a safe return
of missing persons.
- Improving the collection of critical information about missing persons.
- Prioritizing high-risk missing person cases, and ensuring for prompt dissemination of critical information to
other law enforcement agencies and the public.
- Enhancing the current system of notifying families of missing persons.
- Improving the identification of human remains.
- Providing for feedback to families of missing persons by law enforcement in regard to the existence two National Centers,
The Center for Missing and Exploited Children and Center for Missing Adults, where families will have access many
services to aid in locating their missing loved one.
I plan to continue to work with Senator Weinberg's staff and colleagues to ensure passage of Patricia's Law in NJ.
Thanks
Jim
http://www.patriciaviolamissing.homestead.com
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