S. 1038 would require the Department of Justice (DOJ) to add a data field to the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System database that indicates whether the missing person’s last location was confirmed or suspected to have been on federal land or in territorial waters. The act also would require DOJ to report annually to the Congress on the number of cases in the database that meet this criteria.

Using information from DOJ about the costs of similar activities, CBO estimates that implementing S. 1038 would cost less than $500,000 over the 2025-2030 period. Any related spending would be subject to the availability of appropriated funds.

The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Sean Christensen. The estimate was reviewed by H. Samuel Papenfuss, Deputy Director of Budget Analysis.