releases: https://www.heller.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=41caa33b-9a89-43e5-a5f2-431ad3a5ec6a
Data license: MIT · Data source: dwillis/congress-press
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| https://www.heller.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=41caa33b-9a89-43e5-a5f2-431ad3a5ec6a | Heller, Heck Applaud Senate Committee Passage of Good Samaritan Search and Recovery Act | 2015-11-19 | 2015 | 2015-11 | Republican | House | NV | Dean Heller | H001041 | www.heller.senate.gov | legacy | (Washington, DC)Today, U.S. Senator Dean Heller (R-NV) and Congressman Joe Heck (NV-03) applauded Senate Committee on Energy & Natural Resources passage of the Good Samaritan Search and Recovery Act of 2015 (H.R. 373). This legislation, which is the House companion to Senator Hellers bill (S.160), expedites access to public lands so accredited volunteer search groups can conduct searches for missing persons. In April, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Good Samaritan Search and Recovery Act of 2015 by a vote of 413-0. Approval by the full U.S. Senate is the final step before this bill is sent to President Obama to be signed in to law. Following Committee passage Heller and Heck issued these statements: Todays committee passage is further proof the Good Samaritan Search and Recovery Act is an obvious fix. Democrats and Republicans from both chambers agree no more families should have to experience what the Goldberg and Tucker families had to endure. The time has passed for this legislation to make its way to the Presidents desk, and I will continue to work with Congressman Heck to make that happen, said Senator Dean Heller. Today we are one step closer to justice for the Goldberg family, Rep. Heck said. Now that it has passed committee, I hope the Senate takes swift action in passing this bill to ensure federal regulations wont stand between the family of a missing person and the closure that a family deserves. I commend Senator Heller for his hard work in moving the Good Samaritan Search and Recovery Act forward and hope to soon share with the Goldberg family that this bill has passed the Senate. Background: The Good Samaritan Search and Recovery Act of 2015 requires that a decision on issuing a permit for accessing public lands be provided to groups within 48 hours of application and that groups are not responsible for obtaining an insurance policy given they waive federal government liability. In January, Senator Heller and Congressman Heck introduced the legislation, which was initially drafted in 2013 following the discovery of the bodies of Keith Goldberg and Air Force Staff Sergeant Antonio Tucker in the Lake Mead Recreation Area by Good Samaritan search and rescue teams. In both cases, the volunteer search teams had to wait nearly one year to obtain the proper permits and insurance before conducting their searches. In Goldberg's case, remains were discovered in less than two hours; in Tucker's it took less than two days. ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z |