California has expanded the use of DNA technology in missing persons investigations, giving authorities a broader tool to identify unknown people and revisit unresolved cases. Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, signed the measure, known as AB 2018, into law last month, loosening restrictions on the state Missing Persons DNA Program.
The program had previously been limited to identifying deceased individuals. Under the expanded law, its database may also be used to identify unknown people who are alive, allowing state forensic resources to assist in a wider range of investigations. The program supports coroners, medical examiners and law enforcement agencies seeking to identify missing or unknown individuals across California.
State Attorney General Rob Bonta, a Democrat, said the change gives investigators an important tool and offers hope to families waiting for answers. «Any missing person case — adult, child, MMIP, or otherwise — is one too many. No family should know the prolonged uncertainty of waiting for answers, and together we’re making it clear that California takes action,» Bonta said in a statement.
«AB 2018 is the right tool at the right time that will advance California’s ability to resolve missing persons cases and rekindle hope. I look forward to continuing the vital work of delivering justice for missing persons and their loved ones,» he added.
Assemblymember James Ramos, a Democrat who authored the legislation, said the changes will make forensic identification resources more accessible to investigators and could help families who have waited years for answers. «AB 2018 will help all families with missing loved ones receive the answers they need,» Ramos said. «This modernization is especially urgent given the disproportionate number of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons plaguing our state. Ensuring our justice system personnel have the tools they need to perform effectively is critical to bringing resolution to cases involving the missing.»
The law also changes how long certain DNA samples may remain in the state system. Previously, DNA collected from relatives of missing people was destroyed after remains were identified. The state may now retain samples when investigators believe additional related remains could later be recovered and require identification.
The expanded authority comes as law enforcement agencies and forensic specialists in Northern California continue using newer DNA-analysis techniques to examine cold cases. The Calaveras Cold Case Task Force, established in 2020, is a nonprofit team that includes local law enforcement officials and scientists who use advanced forensic methods, including DNA analysis, to pursue new leads in unresolved cases in the county.
Supporters of the law say the changes could reduce barriers for local investigators while giving families of missing people a greater chance of learning what happened to their loved ones. The measure is part of the state’s broader effort to modernize its response to missing persons cases and use forensic science to deliver answers.
