Washington, D.C.– In a bipartisan vote, the U.S. House of Representatives approved legislation authored by Congressman Erik Paulsen (MN-03) to provide law enforcement with an additional tool to help missing children. The bill, the Recovering Missing Children Act, allows law enforcement, with a warrant, to access tax returns that would help investigators locate abducted children. Law enforcement is currently granted exceptions to access IRS records in specific cases – when investigating federal crimes, terrorist acts, or tracking down a fugitive – but not in missing children investigations.

An estimated 200,000 children are abducted by family members every year. An inspector general report found that in an alarming 46% of missing children cases, a search of the IRS database using the child’s social security number revealed a new address on the tax return. The new address could be a case-breaking discovery that would lead law enforcement directly to the missing child and abductor.

“Critical information that would help locate abducted children is right at law enforcement’s fingertips, but they aren’t able to access it,” said Paulsen. “The Recovering Missing Children Act fixes this problem by allowing investigators in missing children cases to use resources that could lead directly to the child and abductor. This bill is about bringing these children home and reuniting them with their loved ones.”

Paulsen spoke on the floor in favor of his legislation. Video is available here.

Congressman Paulsen also authored a recent op-ed in the Star Tribune about why Congress needed to pass the Recovering Missing Children Act.

The Recovering Missing Children Act is supported by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children along with law enforcement organizations like the Fraternal Order of Police, the Sergeants Benevolent Association, the National Association of Police Officers, and the Major County Sheriffs Association.

“The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children is proud to support Rep. Erik Paulsen’s “Recovering Missing Children Act” (H.R. 3209), which provides law enforcement with an additional tool in its search for missing and exploited children.  Thank you to all members of the House who voted for this important legislation,” said John F. Clark, president and CEO of the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children.

“The Recovering Missing Children Act will add the special case of a missing child to the current list of circumstances in which the IRS may release tax information.  Missing children cases are complex and difficult to solve. Giving law enforcement access to these specific tax documents could significantly increase the chances of success. It is for that reason we strongly support the bill,” said Chuck Canterbury, National President, Fraternal Order of Police.

“When it comes to the recovery of missing and exploited children, the only thing more important than the speed of law enforcement’s response is our ability to access all relevant information about the abductor and the missing child,” said President Ed Mullins of the Sergeants Benevolent Association of the New York City Police Department. “We are grateful to Rep. Paulsen for recognizing a gap in current law and for moving quickly to address it through this important legislation.”

Paulsen, a champion of small business and advocate of free enterprise, entrepreneurship, and innovation, serves on the House Ways and Means Committee, the bicameral Joint Economic Committee, and is co-chair of the Congressional Medical Technology Caucus.

For more information on Congressman Paulsen’s work in Congress visit Paulsen.house.gov.

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