Committee advances bill requiring law-enforcement reports of missing children to national database within two hours

House Bill 908, which would require law-enforcement agencies to report missing-children cases to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) within two hours of receiving a report, was advanced by the Senate Committee on Criminal Justice on May 20.

Senator Judith Zaffirini laid out the bill and said that in 2024 Texas agencies reported 31,864 children missing to state centers but only 3,008 of those were also reported to NCMEC. The bill’s core requirement is a two‑hour reporting window to the national center.

Public witnesses included Glenda Durham of Nuance of Faith Ministry, who said the bill “is a crucial advancement… every minute counts” and praised the elimination of discretionary judgment about whether a child is “truly missing.” Brianna Waldock of TexProtect testified in support and described the change as codifying best practice and keeping children safer.

Why it matters: Supporters said immediate national reporting increases the chances of recovery by ensuring access to NCMEC resources and facilitating interagency collaboration. Witnesses framed the two‑hour rule as removing subjective discretion that can produce delays.

Committee action: The committee reported HB 908 favorably to the full Senate (committee roll call recorded as favorable) and left the bill pending for full consideration.

Next steps: With the committee’s favorable recommendation, the bill proceeds to the full Senate. Supporters urged adoption as a codification of widely recommended investigative practice.