Bill to match dental records to missing persons awaits WA Senate Hearing
By Dan Thesman on Wednesday, February 21st, 2024 in Columbia Basin News More Top Stories
OLYMPIA – A bipartisan bill, authored by Rep. Gina Mosbrucker (R-Goldendale), to give investigating authorities consensual access to missing persons’ dental records has cleared the Washington House of Representatives and is awaiting a Senate hearing.
House Bill 2009 would require the Washington State Patrol and the Dental Quality Assurance Commission to develop a process for dentists to receive voluntary patient consent to release dental records.
“When you go to the dentist, then you can fill out a piece of paper that says that you give permission in the event that you are subject of an investigation to disclose your dental records to Washington State Patrol so that they can help find you,” Mosbrucker said.
The bill was brought to Mosbrucker from a constituent who had been looking for her daughter for five years.
“Later, she found out that her daughter had died three years previous,” Mosbrucker said. “And all we had to do to solve that case was to match the dental records to the unidentified body that they found.”
Mosbrucker believes this measure will help families find their missing loved ones and again gain closure.
