Police in New York state are getting a new tool to help them identify the remains of unnamed people.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Wednesday signed a new law directing the state’s Division of Criminal Justice Statistics to provide descriptions of unidentified bodies to every law enforcement agency in the state.

Currently, police seeking to identify a body can send fingerprints or other details to a state database of missing persons, but the information is not widely shared with other departments. Under the new law, the information will be provided to agencies statewide.

Cuomo says the new system will help bring closure to families unsure of what happened to a loved one.

The state has 681 active cases involving unidentified bodies dating back to 1969.

(AP)