Section 14206.

(a) (1) When any person makes a report of a missing person to a police department, sheriff's department, district attorney's office, California Highway Patrol, or other law enforcement agency, the report shall be given in person or by mail in a format acceptable to the Attorney General. That form shall include a statement authorizing the release of the dental or skeletal X-rays, or both, of the person reported missing and authorizing the release of a recent photograph of a person reported missing who is under 18 years of age. Included with the form shall be instructions which state that if the person reported missing is still missing 30 days after the report is made, the release form signed by a member of the family or next of kin of the missing person shall be taken by the family member or next of kin to the dentist, physician and surgeon, or medical facility in order to obtain the release of the dental or skeletal X-rays, or both, of that person or may be taken by a peace officer, if others fail to take action, to secure those X-rays. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, dental or skeletal X-rays, or both, shall be released by the dentist, physician and surgeon, or medical facility to the person presenting the request and shall be submitted within 10 days by that person to the police or sheriff's department or other law enforcement agency having jurisdiction over the investigation. When the person reported missing has not been found within 30 days and no family or next of kin exists or can be located, the law enforcement agency may execute a written declaration, stating that an active investigation seeking the location of the missing person is being conducted, and that the dental or skeletal X-rays, or both, are necessary for the exclusive purpose of furthering the investigation. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the written declaration, signed by a peace officer, is sufficient authority for the dentist, physician and surgeon, or medical facility to release the missing person's dental or skeletal X-rays, or both.

(2) The form provided under this subdivision shall also state that if the person reported missing is under 18 years of age, the completed form shall be taken to the dentist, physician and surgeon, or medical facility immediately when the law enforcement agency determines that the disappearance involves evidence that the person is at risk or when the law enforcement agency determines that the person missing is under 16 years of age and has been missing at least 14 days. The form shall further provide that the dental or skeletal X-rays, or both, and a recent photograph of the missing child shall be submitted immediately to the law enforcement agency. Whenever authorized under this subdivision to execute a written declaration to obtain the release of dental or skeletal X-rays, or both, is provided, the investigating law enforcement agency may obtain those X-rays when a person reported missing is under 18 years of age and the law enforcement agency determines that the disappearance involves evidence that the person is at risk. In each case, the law enforcement agency may confer immediately with the coroner or medical examiners and may submit its report including the dental or skeletal X-rays, or both, within 24 hours thereafter to the Attorney General. The Attorney General's office shall code and enter the dental or skeletal X-rays, or both, into the center.

(b) When a person reported missing has not been found within 45 days, the sheriff, chief of police, or other law enforcement agency conducting the investigation for the missing person may confer with the coroner or medical examiner prior to the preparation of a missing person report. The coroner or medical examiner shall cooperate with the law enforcement agency. After conferring with the coroner or medical examiner, the sheriff, chief of police, or other law enforcement agency initiating and conducting the investigation for the missing person may submit a missing person report and the dental or skeletal X-rays, or both, and photograph received pursuant to subdivision (a) to the Attorney General's office in a format acceptable to the Attorney General.

(c) Nothing in this section prohibits a parent or guardian of a child, reported to a law enforcement agency as missing, from voluntarily submitting fingerprints, and other documents, to the law enforcement agency accepting the report for inclusion in the report which is submitted to the Attorney General.

(d) The requirements imposed by this section on local police and sheriff's departments shall not be operative if the governing body of that local agency, by a majority vote of the members of that body, adopts a resolution expressly making those requirements inoperative.

(Amended by Stats. 1999, Ch. 579, Sec. 2. Effective January 1, 2000.)