69–006 

115TH CONGRESS REPORT " ! HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 1st Session 115–110 

IMPROVING SUPPORT FOR MISSING AND EXPLOITED 

CHILDREN ACT OF 2017 

MAY 4, 2017.—Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the 

Union and ordered to be printed 

Ms. FOXX, from the Committee on Education and the Workforce, 

submitted the following 

R E P O R T 

[To accompany H.R. 1808] 

[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office] 

The Committee on Education and the Workforce, to whom was 

referred the bill (H.R. 1808) to amend and improve the Missing 

Children’s Assistance Act, and for other purposes, having considered the same, report favorably thereon with an amendment and 

recommend that the bill as amended do pass. 

The amendment is as follows: 

Strike all after the enacting clause and insert the following: 

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Improving Support for Missing and Exploited Children Act of 2017’’. 

SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

Section 402 of the Missing Children’s Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5771) is amended— 

(1) by amending paragraph (1) to read as follows: 

‘‘(1) each year tens of thousands of children run away, or are abducted or removed, from the control of a parent having legal custody without such parent’s 

consent, under circumstances which immediately place the child in grave danger;’’, 

(2) by striking paragraphs (4) and (5), 

(3) in paragraph (6) by inserting ‘‘, including child sex trafficking and 

sextortion’’ after ‘‘exploitation’’, 

(4) in paragraph (8) by adding ‘‘and’’ at the end, 

(5) by striking paragraph (9), 

(6) by amending paragraph (10) to read as follows: 

‘‘(10) a key component of such programs is the National Center for Missing 

and Exploited Children that— 

‘‘(A) serves as a nonprofit, national resource center and clearinghouse to 

provide assistance to victims, families, child-serving professionals, and the 

general public; 

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‘‘(B) works with the Department of Justice, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Marshals Service, the Department of the Treasury, the Department of State, the United States Immigration and Customs 

Enforcement, the United States Secret Service, the United States Postal Inspection Service, other agencies, and nongovernmental organizations in the 

effort to find missing children and to prevent child victimization; and 

‘‘(C) coordinates with each of the missing children clearinghouses operated by the 50 States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and international organizations to transmit images and information regarding missing and exploited children to law enforcement, nongovernmental organizations, and corporate partners across the United States and around the 

world instantly.’’, and 

(7) by redesignating paragraphs (6), (7), (8), and (10) as paragraphs (4), (5), 

(6), and (7), respectively. 

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 

Section 403 of the Missing Children’s Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5772) is amended— 

(1) in paragraph (1)— 

(A) by striking ‘‘legal custodian’’ each place it appears and inserting ‘‘parent’’, 

(B) in subparagraph (A) by striking ‘‘custodian’s’’ and inserting ‘‘parent’s’’, 

and 

(C) in subparagraph (C) by striking the period and the end and inserting 

a semicolon, 

(2) in paragraph (2) by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end, 

(3) in paragraph (3) by striking the period at the end and inserting ‘‘; and’’, 

and 

(4) by adding at the end the following: 

‘‘(4) the term ‘parent’ includes a legal guardian or other individual standing 

in loco parentis (such as a grandparent or stepparent with whom the child lives, 

or an individual who is legally responsible for the child’s welfare).’’. 

SEC. 4. DUTIES AND FUNCTIONS OF THE ADMINISTRATOR. 

Section 404 of the Missing Children’s Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5773) is amended— 

(1) in subsection (a)— 

(A) in paragraph (3) by striking ‘‘telephone line’’ and inserting ‘‘hotline’’, 

and 

(B) in paragraph (6)(E)— 

(i) by striking ‘‘telephone line’’ and inserting ‘‘hotline’’, 

(ii) by striking ‘‘(b)(1)(A) and’’ and inserting ‘‘(b)(1)(A),’’, and 

(iii) by inserting ‘‘, and the number and types of reports to the tipline 

established under subsection (b)(1)(K)(i)’’ before the semicolon at the 

end, 

(2) in subsection (b)(1)— 

(A) in subparagraph (A)— 

(i) by striking ‘‘telephone line’’ each place it appears and inserting 

‘‘hotline’’, and 

(ii) by striking ‘‘legal custodian’’ and inserting ‘‘parent’’, 

(B) in subparagraph (C)— 

(i) in clause (i)— 

(I) by striking ‘‘restaurant’’ and inserting ‘‘food’’, and 

(II) by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end, 

(ii) in clause (ii) by adding ‘‘and’’ at the end, and 

(iii) by adding at the end the following: 

‘‘(iii) innovative and model programs, services, and legislation that 

benefit missing and exploited children;’’, 

(C) by striking subparagraphs (E), (F), and (G), 

(D) by amending subparagraph (H) to read as follows: 

‘‘(H) provide technical assistance and training to families, law enforcement agencies, State and local governments, elements of the criminal justice system, nongovernmental agencies, local educational agencies, and the 

general public— 

‘‘(i) in the prevention, investigation, prosecution, and treatment of 

cases involving missing and exploited children; 

‘‘(ii) to respond to foster children missing from the State child welfare 

system in coordination with child welfare agencies and courts handling 

juvenile justice and dependency matters; and 

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‘‘(iii) in the identification, location, and recovery of victims of, and 

children at risk for, child sex trafficking;’’, 

(E) by amending subparagraphs (I), (J), and (K) to read as follows: 

‘‘(I) provide assistance to families, law enforcement agencies, State and 

local governments, nongovernmental agencies, child-serving professionals, 

and other individuals involved in the location and recovery of missing and 

abducted children, both nationally, and in cooperation with the Department 

of State, internationally; 

‘‘(J) provide support and technical assistance to child-serving professionals involved in helping to recover missing and exploited children by 

searching public records databases to help in the identification, location, 

and recovery of such children, and help in the location and identification 

of potential abductors and offenders; 

‘‘(K) provide forensic and direct on-site technical assistance and consultation to families, law enforcement agencies, child-serving professionals, and 

nongovernmental organizations in child abduction and exploitation cases, 

including facial reconstruction of skeletal remains and similar techniques 

to assist in the identification of unidentified deceased children;’’. 

(F) by striking subparagraphs (L) and (M), 

(G) by amending subparagraph (N) to read as follows: 

‘‘(N) provide training, technical assistance, and information to nongovernmental organizations relating to non-compliant sex offenders and to law enforcement agencies in identifying and locating such individuals;’’, 

(H) by striking subparagraph (P), 

(I) by amending subparagraph (Q) to read as follows: 

‘‘(Q) work with families, law enforcement agencies, electronic service providers, electronic payment service providers, technology companies, nongovernmental organizations, and others on methods to reduce the existence 

and distribution of online images and videos of sexually exploited children— 

‘‘(i) by operating a tipline to provide to individuals and electronic 

service providers an effective means of reporting Internet-related and 

other instances of child sexual exploitation in the areas of— 

‘‘(I) possession, manufacture, and distribution of child pornography; 

‘‘(II) online enticement of children for sexual acts; 

‘‘(III) child sex trafficking; 

‘‘(IV) sex tourism involving children; 

‘‘(V) extra familial child sexual molestation; 

‘‘(VI) unsolicited obscene material sent to a child; 

‘‘(VII) misleading domain names; and 

‘‘(VIII) misleading words or digital images on the Internet; 

and subsequently to make such reports available to the appropriate law 

enforcement agency for its review and potential investigation; 

‘‘(ii) by operating a child victim identification program to assist law 

enforcement agencies in identifying victims of child pornography and 

other sexual crimes to support the recovery of children from sexually 

exploitative situations; and 

‘‘(iii) by utilizing emerging technologies to provide additional outreach 

and educational materials to parents and families;’’, 

(J) by striking subparagraph (R), 

(K) by amending subparagraphs (S) and (T) to read as follows: 

‘‘(S) develop and disseminate programs and information to families, childserving professionals, law enforcement agencies, State and local governments, nongovernmental organizations, schools, local educational agencies, 

child-serving organizations, and the general public on— 

‘‘(i) the prevention of child abduction and sexual exploitation; 

‘‘(ii) Internet safety, including tips for social media and cyberbullying; 

and 

‘‘(iii) sexting and sextortion; and 

‘‘(T) provide technical assistance and training to local educational agencies, schools, State and local law enforcement agencies, individuals, and 

other nongovernmental organizations that assist with finding missing and 

abducted children in identifying and recovering such children.’’, and 

(L) by redesignating subparagraphs (H), (I), (J), (K), (N), (O), (Q), (S), (T), 

(U), and (V) as subparagraphs (E) through (O), respectively. 

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SEC. 5. GRANTS. 

Section 405 of the Missing Children’s Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5775) is amended— 

(1) in subsection (a)— 

(A) in paragraph (7) by striking ‘‘(as defined in section 403(1)(A))’’, and 

(B) in paragraph (8)— 

(i) by striking ‘‘legal custodians’’ and inserting ‘‘parents’’, and 

(ii) by striking ‘‘custodians’ ’’ and inserting ‘‘parents’ ’’, and 

(2) in subsection (b)(1)(A) by striking ‘‘legal custodians’’ and inserting ‘‘parents’’. 

SEC. 6. REPORTING. 

The Missing Children’s Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5771 et seq.) is amended— 

(1) by redesignating sections 407 and 408 as section 408 and 409, respectively, and 

(2) by inserting after section 406 the following: 

‘‘SEC. 407. REPORTING. 

‘‘(a) REQUIRED REPORTING.—As a condition of receiving funds under section 

404(b), the grant recipient shall, based solely on reports received by the grantee and 

not involving any data collection by the grantee other than those reports, annually 

provide to the Administrator and make available to the general public, as appropriate— 

‘‘(1) the number of children nationwide who are reported to the grantee as 

missing; 

‘‘(2) the number of children nationwide who are reported to the grantee as victims of non-family abductions; 

‘‘(3) the number of children nationwide who are reported to the grantee as victims of family abductions; and 

‘‘(4) the number of missing children recovered nationwide whose recovery was 

reported to the grantee. 

‘‘(b) INCIDENCE OF ATTEMPTED CHILD ABDUCTIONS.—As a condition of receiving 

funds under section 404(b), the grant recipient shall— 

‘‘(1) track the incidence of attempted child abductions in order to identify 

links and patterns; 

‘‘(2) provide such information to law enforcement agencies; and 

‘‘(3) make such information available to the general public, as appropriate.’’. 

H.R. 1808, IMPROVING SUPPORT FOR MISSING AND 

EXPLOITED CHILDREN ACT OF 2017 

PURPOSE

H.R. 1808, the Improving Support for Missing and Exploited 

Children Act of 2017, updates the Missing Children’s Assistance 

Act (MCAA), which coordinates and supports state and local efforts 

to recover missing and exploited children. MCAA both provides 

guidance on the resources needed to best assist victims and their 

families and ensures engaged stakeholders have the necessary 

skills needed to prevent, recover, and help missing, abducted, and 

exploited children. H.R. 1808 updates MCAA to ensure it aligns 

with best practices currently utilized at the state and local levels. 

COMMITTEE ACTION

113TH CONGRESS

Introduction and House Passage of H.R. 3092, E. Clay Shaw, Jr. 

Missing Children’s Assistance Reauthorization Act of 2013 

On September 12, 2013, Rep. Brett Guthrie (R–KY) introduced 

H.R. 3092, the E. Clay Shaw, Jr. Missing Children’s Assistance Reauthorization Act of 2013. The bill reauthorized MCAA, under 

which the Missing and Exploited Children program is authorized. 

On September 17, the U.S. House of Representatives (House) 

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passed H.R. 3092, and on September 25, it was passed by the U.S. 

Senate. On September 30, President Obama signed H.R. 3092 into 

law. 

Subcommittee Hearing on Protecting America’s Youth: An Update 

from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children 

On July 15, 2014, the Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education (Subcommittee) held a hearing 

in Washington, D.C., on ‘‘Protecting America’s Youth: An Update 

from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.’’ The 

purpose of the hearing was to oversee the implementation of H.R. 

3092. Testifying before the Subcommittee was Mr. John D. Ryan, 

President and Chief Executive Officer, National Center for Missing 

and Exploited Children (NCMEC), Alexandria, Virginia. 

115TH CONGRESS

Full Committee Hearing on Honoring Our Commitment to Recover 

and Protect Missing and Exploited Children 

On March 16, 2017, the Committee on Education and the Workforce (Committee) held a hearing in Washington, D.C., on ‘‘Honoring Our Commitment to Recover and Protect Missing and Exploited Children.’’ The purpose of the hearing was to learn about 

MCAA and NCMEC. Testifying before the Committee was Mr. 

John F. Clark, President and Chief Executive Officer, National 

Center for Missing and Exploited Children, Alexandria, Virginia. 

Introduction of H.R. 1808, Improving Support for Missing and Exploited Children Act of 2017 

On March 30, 2017, Rep. Brett Guthrie (R–KY) introduced H.R. 

1808. The bill updates MCAA to streamline the grant activities of 

the Missing and Exploited Children program to better align required activities with current services. 

Committee Passage of H.R. 1808, Improving Support for Missing 

and Exploited Children Act of 2017 

On April 4, 2017, the Committee considered H.R. 1808 in legislative session and reported the bill favorably, as amended, to the 

House by voice vote. There was one amendment offered: 

• Amendment in the Nature of a Substitute: Rep. Guthrie offered an amendment in the nature of a substitute. The amendment 

(1) made a conforming change to ensure consistency of terms 

throughout the bill; and (2) made technical changes. 

Vice Chairman Joe Wilson (R–SC) offered a motion to report the 

bill as amended. The motion was adopted by voice vote. 

SUMMARY OF H.R. 1808 

Beginning in the late 1970s, many highly publicized cases of 

child abduction, sexual abuse, and murder prompted policymakers 

and child advocates to focus on the problem of missing children. 

Recognizing the need for greater federal coordination of local and 

state efforts to recover missing and exploited children, Congress 

created the Missing and Exploited Children program under the 

MCAA, which directed the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of 

Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) to establish 

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1Title IV of the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 1974. 

2Programs authorized under other laws that are not in the Committee’s jurisdiction include 

(1) the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force; (2) America’s Missing: Broadcast Emergency Response Alert system, known as AMBER; and (3) other initiatives, including a membership-based nonprofit missing and exploited children’s organization that assists families of missing children and efforts to respond to child sexual exploitation through education, known as the 

National Alliance of Missing Children’s Organizations. 

both a toll-free number to report missing children and provide a 

grant for a national resource center for missing and exploited children. The program also allowed funding to be used for professional 

development and technical assistance to public and private entities 

to assist in recovering missing children.1 MCAA was most recently 

reauthorized in 2013. 

A primary component of the Missing and Exploited Children program was a grant given to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) to carry out a coordinated, national response to the problem of missing and exploited children in partnership with law enforcement, state and local entities, families, communities, and other stakeholders.2

The grantee has implemented innovative policies, educational 

initiatives, and public-private partnerships to prevent the victimization of children. The following programs are operated by the center: 

• 24-hour Hotline and CyberTipline. A 24-hour toll-free hotline 

is operated through its call center to receive reports relating to 

missing children, leads or sightings of missing children, and requests for assistance, information, and technical assistance from 

families of missing children, law enforcement, and others. The 

CyberTipline enables electronic service providers and members of 

the public to report online incidents involving possession, manufacturing, and distribution of child pornography, online sexual exploitation, unsolicited and inappropriate materials, and misleading information. In all of these instances, the grantee provides various 

assistance, including sending publications or educational materials, 

providing technical support about missing children cases, and providing information about transportation for families needing assistance with reunification. The grantee also has access to the FBI’s 

National Crime Information Center’s (NCIC) Missing Person File 

in order to review records and updates of the records of missing 

children added by local and state law enforcement agencies. 

• Nationwide Database. The grantee manages a nationwide 

database on missing children cases. Each missing child is entered 

into the database and assigned a case manager to serve as the single point of contact for the searching family. Case management 

teams work with families and law enforcement agencies by providing coordinated support and access to analytical and technological resources. 

• Technical Assistance. The grantee offers technical assistance to 

law enforcement, criminal and juvenile justice professionals, and 

healthcare professionals. This includes resources that teach the 

skills needed to respond to and prevent missing and sexually exploited children cases, such as detection, identification, investigation, prevention, and forensic imaging. The grantee also provides 

nationally accredited professional development for healthcare professionals, which includes infant security for nursing and security 

personnel. The grantee receives technical assistance support from 

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the U.S. Secret Service in matters involving missing and exploited 

children. • Team HOPE. The grantee provides child safety and prevention 

resources for families and professionals, as well as support, crisisintervention, and technical assistance. The Help Offering Parents 

Empowerment (Team HOPE) consists of volunteers who have had 

personal experiences with child disappearance to mentor other parents and families, helping them cope with the traumatic experience 

of abduction and sexual exploitation during and after incidents. Additionally, the grant recipient provides direct support services to 

such victims and families through mental health and child welfare 

professionals. • State and Local Engagement. In addition to working closely 

with various federal agencies, the grant recipient works with each 

state to assist with missing children reports and tips. Working with 

their community partners, the grantee informs the public about 

ways to keep children safe through various education programs, 

such as resources for state officials and mayors to hold child safety 

events around the country. The grantee also works with nonprofit 

and corporate partners to create an important network for its programs, including technology provided from Microsoft, Google, and 

Adobe. Businesses, including Walmart, Comcast, USA Today, and 

ABC News, help ensure missing children photos and AMBER 

Alerts are rapidly disseminated to the public. 

While MCAA was last reauthorized in 2013, the program is set 

to expire in FY 2018. Given the sensitive nature of this work and 

past federal efforts to proactively reauthorize the program, it is imperative there is no interruption to the crucial services and assistance provided to victims and their families. As such, H.R. 1808 updates and streamlines the activities of the grant to better align required activities with current practice. This will allow the grantee 

to continue providing the support needed for victims and families 

during the difficult times they face. Specifically, the legislation improves current law in the following areas: 

Clarifies existing structures to align with current practice 

• H.R. 1808 updates the findings of Congress to reflect the 

awareness that a growing number of children are victims of child 

sex trafficking and sextortion. To better serve victims and families, 

the grantee has developed resources to address growing areas of 

concern where children are highly susceptible to malicious intent. 

Updates requirements to better serve victims and families 

• H.R. 1808 requires the grantee to provide information on innovative and model programs, services, and legislation that benefit 

missing and exploited children. This information, in combination 

with other assistance information relating to free or low-cost legal, 

food, lodging, and transportation services, serves as critical support 

for missing and exploited children and their families. 

Protects children missing from state care and victims of sex trafficking 

• To better align MCAA with current practice to combat emerging trends in sex trafficking, H.R. 1808 clarifies the work the 

grantee does to help prevent child sex trafficking. Specifically, the 

8 

grantee will provide technical assistance and education to families, 

law enforcement agencies, state and local governments, non-government agencies, schools, and the general public on how to 

proactively respond to children missing from state child welfare 

systems and victims or those at-risk of being victims of child sex 

trafficking. By updating this provision to address emerging trends, 

H.R. 1808 ensures entities and individuals are best prepared to 

help victims and families. 

Provides assistance in identifying and locating abductors and missing children 

• H.R. 1808 clarifies requirements to provide support and technical assistance to entities and individuals working to recover missing, abducted, or exploited children. In addition, H.R. 1808 continues the requirement to provide assistance and support relating 

to forensic information on victims to law enforcement entities, 

other individuals involved in child abduction and exploitation 

cases, and families, which might include facial reconstruction of 

skeletal remains and similar techniques to assist in the identification of unidentified deceased children. Through support and assistance from the grantee, the families and entities working to recover 

missing, exploited, and abducted children will be able to use reliable data and resources to locate and identify victims. 

Addresses emerging trends in technology relating to abuse 

• Given the prevalent use of, and easy access to, technology in 

children’s daily lives, H.R. 1808 updates requirements that relate 

to working with families, law enforcement, technology companies, 

and other entities and individuals on methods to combat and reduce the existence and distribution of online images and videos associated with sexually exploited children. The bill also maintains 

the requirement to develop and disseminate programs and information to families, law enforcement, schools, child and youth-serving 

organizations, and other related entities about the prevention of 

child abduction and sexual exploitation and about internet safety, 

including tips for social media and cyberbullying, sexting, and 

sextortion. These requirements ensure the best possible services 

and preemptive measures are taken to prevent youth from becoming victims, as well as help those who have already been victimized. 

Updates reporting requirements to provide additional transparency 

• H.R. 1808 extends reporting requirements under the grant to 

include making reports to OJJDP publicly available as appropriate. 

This includes information relating to the number of children nationwide who are reported to the grantee as missing; the number 

of victims of non-family abductions; the number of victims of family 

abductions; and the number of children recovered nationwide when 

the recovery was reported to the grantee. Additionally, the grantee 

follows the incidence of attempted child abductions in order to identify links and patterns, providing such information to law enforcement agencies as well as the general public, as appropriate. This 

information improves the needed services and preemptive measures to help victims, those at-risk of becoming victims, and their 

families. 

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COMMITTEE VIEWS

Introduction 

Protecting our children has long been a national priority, and 

children deserve to live without fear of being abused, sexually exploited or taken from their families. Unfortunately, statistics show 

that many children remain at-risk. Last year alone, there were 

more than 465,000 reports of missing children, which is why the 

Missing and Exploited Children program continues to play a critical role in protecting children and provides vital support for communities across the country. 

H.R. 1808 helps the Missing and Exploited Children program 

continue to provide crucial services to ensure children who are 

missing, abducted, or victims of sexual exploitation and their families receive needed support without disruption. 

Combatting growing trends in crimes committed against children 

and youth 

Since its creation, the Missing and Exploited Children program 

has supported the efforts of state and local governments, families, 

schools, law enforcement, community leaders, and nonprofit organizations to help children and at-risk youth in desperate need of protection. 

As the use of technology becomes even more prevalent, the threat 

to children encountering individuals with malicious intent also increases, which is why H.R. 1808 maintains specific requirements to 

engage key stakeholders, such as families, schools, child and youthserving entities, and law enforcement in prevention activities. Specifically, the grantee uses education to help children and families 

understand the parameters needed to navigate and use the internet safely. Some of these educational initiatives include the 

NetSmartz Workshop and NetSmartz411, which help parents and 

other adults interacting with children to have conversations about 

safe online behavior. 

In addition to education, the grant program supports opportunities for the public and service providers to report potential online 

exploitation of children and youth through the CyberTipline. In 

2016, the CyberTipline received more than 8.3 million reports of 

child sexual exploitation, including many cases that occur via the 

internet. As part of that important work, the Child Victim Identification Program has reviewed more than 200 million images and 

videos. By targeting the source and gathering critical information 

in these incidents, law enforcement has been able to identify over 

12,600 child victims of exploitation, which helps lead to rescues of 

these children. 

Additionally, in recent years, an increasing number of children 

have become victims of sex trafficking and sextortion. In 2016, the 

grantee assisted with approximately 9,000 reports related to possible child sex trafficking—only a fraction of the actual count of sex 

trafficking victims nationwide. Specifically, 86 percent of the reported cases were in the care of social services or foster care when 

they went missing. To bring awareness to this issue, H.R. 1808 updates the findings of the MCAA to reflect the growing number of 

children in foster care falling victim to these crimes. Raising 

awareness about the growing number of children missing from 

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state child welfare systems will ensure the law aligns with the 

work needed to prevent more children from becoming victims. 

H.R. 1808 also reinforces the crucial work of providing recovery 

assistance for these victims, including technical assistance and 

education for families, law enforcement agencies, state and local 

governments, non-governmental agencies, schools, and the general 

public on how to respond to, and curb, the growing number of victims being forced or lured into sex trafficking. For example, the 

grantee operates a Child Sex Trafficking Team, which performs the 

following activities: • Reviewing CyberTipline reports related to child sex trafficking; • Assisting with cases of missing children involved in, or at 

risk of, trafficking; and • Providing technical assistance and education to help with 

the identification, location, and recovery of victims of child sex 

trafficking. 

H.R. 1808 ensures the continuation efforts to prevent youth from 

becoming victims and to help those who are victims. 

Supporting victims and families 

H.R. 1808 continues support for states, public and private nonprofits, schools, local governments, and individuals to help them 

serve victims and families as they work through the process of recovery. Specifically, these resources and assistance provide the following services: • Immediate crisis intervention when a family needs help 

with a missing, exploited, or recovered child; • Support for survivors of abduction and exploitation, including helping them to connect with other victims; • Emotional support for endangered runaways, parents, 

guardians, and families; • Referrals to appropriate agencies and mental health professionals; 

• Reunification assistance and support for siblings of victims; and 

• Assistance locating organizations to help sexually exploited 

youth. 

H.R. 1808 also requires the grantee share best practices as well 

as model programs, services, and legislation to help victims and 

their families find the assistance needed to aid in healing and recovery. 

Providing crucial technical support and forensic assistance 

H.R. 1808 clarifies requirements to provide technical support and 

assistance to entities and individuals working to recover missing, 

abducted, or exploited children. In order to prevent child victimization, H.R. 1808 maintains grant requirements to assist entities and 

individuals in locating and identifying abductors, offenders, and 

those at-risk of being victims. Additionally, the bill allows for the 

continuation of current work related to forensic information, including the Advanced Forensic Imaging Workshop, a 40-hour course designed to teach forensic artists advanced methods and techniques 

in clay sculpture for facial reconstructions. By supporting this 

work, H.R. 1808 ensures those involved in recovering missing chilVerDate Sep 11 2014 06:07 May 06, 2017 Jkt 069006 PO 00000 Frm 00010 Fmt 6659 Sfmt 6602 E:\HR\OC\HR110.XXX HR110
11 

dren and preventing exploitation have the necessary tools for their 

important work. 

Emphasizing transparency 

In order to bolster transparency and raise awareness, H.R. 1808 

extends the law’s reporting requirements to include making reports 

publicly available as appropriate, including information regarding 

the number of children nationwide reported as missing; victims of 

non-family abductions; victims of family abductions; and victims 

whose recovery is reported to the grantee. 

Additionally, in order to combat potential abductions of children 

and youth, H.R. 1808 maintains the requirement that attempted 

child abductions be tracked in order to identify links and patterns 

and that such information be provided to law enforcement agencies 

as well as the general public, as appropriate. 

CONCLUSION

Over the years, Congress has worked to ensure the Missing and 

Exploited Children program accurately reflects the work needed to 

prevent the exploitation of children and support the recovery of 

missing children, families, and communities. As President Ronald 

Reagan said when the program was established in 1984, ‘‘No single 

sector of our nation can solve the problem of missing and exploited 

children alone. But by working together, pooling our resources, and 

building on our strengths, we can accomplish great things.’’ 

SECTION-BY-SECTION

The following is a section-by-section analysis of the Amendment 

in the Nature of a Substitute offered by Rep. Guthrie and reported 

favorably by the Committee. 

Section 1. Short title 

Lists the short title of the Act as the ‘‘Improving Support for 

Missing and Exploited Children Act of 2017.’’ 

Section 2. Findings 

Updates the findings of the Act to include sex trafficking and 

sextortion as growing crimes committed against children. 

Section 3. Duties and functions of the Administrator 

Updates and clarifies the grant requirements to include providing technical assistance, professional development, and support 

to appropriate personnel and entities to do the following: 

• Help prevent, properly address and handle, assist, and respond to cases relating to missing and abducted children, especially those missing from the state child welfare systems; 

• Recover children through information gained from public 

records; 

• Use direct on-site and forensic technical assistance and 

consultation to identify deceased children; 

• Locate non-compliant sex offenders; 

• Reduce the existence and distribution on the internet of 

images of sexually exploited children; 

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• Help provide education on safe practices for the use of 

technology, including cellular devices, internet usage, and preventing cyberbullying; and 

• Help in other areas where needed and appropriate. 

Section 4. Reporting 

Moves existing reporting requirements to a new section of the 

law. The grantee, based solely on information derived from reports 

received by the grantee, reports on the number of children nationwide who are reported to the grantee as missing; victims of nonfamily abductions; victims of family abductions; and recovered nationwide. 

Includes the existing reporting requirement that the grantee 

track the incidence of attempted child abductions in order to identify links and patterns, and to provide that information to law enforcement agencies and the general public, as appropriate. 

EXPLANATION OF AMENDMENTS

The amendments, including the amendment in the nature of a 

substitute, are explained in the body of this report. 

APPLICATION OF LAW TO THE LEGISLATIVE BRANCH

Section 102(b)(3) of Public Law 104–1 requires a description of 

the application of this bill to the legislative branch. H.R. 1808 updates the Missing Children’s Assistance Act, which coordinates and 

supports state and local efforts to recover missing and exploited 

children. 

UNFUNDED MANDATE STATEMENT

Section 423 of the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act (as amended by Section 101(a)(2) of the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act, P.L. 104–4) requires a statement of whether the 

provisions of the reported bill include unfunded mandates. This 

issue is addressed in the CBO letter. 

EARMARK STATEMENT

H.R. 1808 does not contain any congressional earmarks, limited 

tax benefits, or limited tariff benefits as defined in clause 9 of 

House Rule XXI. 

ROLL CALL VOTES

Clause 3(b) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives requires the Committee Report to include for each record vote 

on a motion to report the measure or matter and on any amendments offered to the measure or matter the total number of votes 

for and against and the names of the Members voting for and 

against. No roll call votes were taken for H.R. 1808. 

STATEMENT OF GENERAL PERFORMANCE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

In accordance with clause (3)(c) of House Rule XIII, the goal of 

H.R. 1808 support state and local efforts to recover missing and exploited children. 

13 

DUPLICATION OF FEDERAL PROGRAMS

No provision of H.R. 1808 establishes or reauthorizes a program 

of the Federal Government known to be duplicative of another Federal program, a program that was included in any report from the 

Government Accountability Office to Congress pursuant to section 

21 of Public Law 111–139, or a program related to a program identified in the most recent Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance. 

DISCLOSURE OF DIRECTED RULE MAKINGS

The committee estimates that enacting H.R. 1808 does not specifically direct the completion of any specific rule makings within 

the meaning of 5 U.S.C. 551. 

STATEMENT OF OVERSIGHT FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS OF

THE COMMITTEE

In compliance with clause 3(c)(1) of rule XIII and clause 2(b)(1) 

of rule X of the Rules of the House of Representatives, the committee’s oversight findings and recommendations are reflected in the 

body of this report. 

NEW BUDGET AUTHORITY AND CBO COST ESTIMATE

With respect to the requirements of clause 3(c)(2) of rule XIII of 

the Rules of the House of Representatives and section 308(a) of the 

Congressional Budget Act of 1974 and with respect to requirements 

of clause 3(c)(3) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives and section 402 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974, the 

committee has received the following estimate for H.R. 1808 from 

the Director of the Congressional Budget Office: 

U.S. CONGRESS, 

CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE, 

Washington, DC, April 19, 2017. 

Hon. VIRGINIA FOXX, 

Chairwoman, Committee on Education and the Workforce, 

House of Representatives, Washington, DC. 

DEAR MADAM CHAIRWOMAN: The Congressional Budget Office 

has prepared the enclosed cost estimate for H.R. 1808, the Improving Support for Missing and Exploited Children Act of 2017. 

If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be pleased 

to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Mark Grabowicz. 

Sincerely, 

MARK P. HADLEY

(For Keith Hall, Director). 

Enclosure. 

H.R. 1808—IMPROVING SUPPORT FOR MISSING AND EXPLOITED

CHILDREN ACT OF 2017 

The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children 

(NCMEC) is a nonprofit organization funded mostly by the Department of Justice. H.R. 1808 would make several changes to the laws 

that govern the use of funds provided to NCMEC. Most of the 

changes would aim to streamline and reorganize how those funds 

14 

are used and CBO estimates that implementing the bill would have 

no significant cost to the federal government. 

Enacting the legislation would not affect direct spending or revenues; therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures do not apply. CBO estimates that enacting H.R. 1808 would not increase net direct spending or on-budget deficits in any of the four consecutive 10-year periods beginning in 2028. 

H.R. 1808 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act and would 

impose no costs on state, local, or tribal governments. 

The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Mark Grabowicz. The 

estimate was approved by H. Samuel Papenfuss, Deputy Assistant 

Director for Budget Analysis. 

COMMITTEE COST ESTIMATE

Clause 3(d)(1) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives requires an estimate and a comparison of the costs 

that would be incurred in carrying out H.R. 1808. However, clause 

3(d)(2)(B) of that rule provides that this requirement does not 

apply when the committee has included in its report a timely submitted cost estimate of the bill prepared by the Director of the Congressional Budget Office under section 402 of the Congressional 

Budget Act. 

CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW MADE BY THE BILL, AS REPORTED

In compliance with clause 3(e) of rule XIII of the Rules of the 

House of Representatives, changes in existing law made by the bill, 

as reported, are shown as follows (new matter is printed in italic 

and existing law in which no change is proposed is shown in 

roman): 

CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW MADE BY THE BILL, AS REPORTED

In compliance with clause 3(e) of rule XIII of the Rules of the 

House of Representatives, changes in existing law made by the bill, 

as reported, are shown as follows (existing law proposed to be omitted is enclosed in black brackets, new matter is printed in italic, 

and existing law in which no change is proposed is shown in 

roman): 

MISSING CHILDREN’S ASSISTANCE ACT 

* * * * * * * 

TITLE IV—MISSING CHILDREN 

* * * * * * * 

SEC. 402. FINDINGS. 

The Congress finds that— 

ø(1) each year thousands of children are abducted or removed from the control of a parent having legal custody without such parent’s consent, under circumstances which immediately place the child in grave danger;¿ 

(1) each year tens of thousands of children run away, or are 

abducted or removed, from the control of a parent having legal 

15 

custody without such parent’s consent, under circumstances 

which immediately place the child in grave danger; 

(2) many missing children are at great risk of both physical 

harm and sexual exploitation; 

(3) many missing children are runaways; 

ø(4) in many cases, parents and local law enforcement officials have neither the resources nor the expertise to mount expanded search efforts; 

ø(5) abducted children are frequently moved from one locality to another, requiring the cooperation and coordination of 

local, State, and Federal law enforcement efforts;¿ 

ø(6)¿ (4) growing numbers of children are the victims of child 

sexual exploitation, including child sex trafficking and 

sextortion, increasingly involving the use of new technology to 

access the Internet; 

ø(7)¿ (5) children may be separated from their parents or 

legal guardians as a result of national disasters such as hurricanes and floods; 

ø(8)¿ (6) sex offenders pose a threat to children; and 

ø(9) the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention administers programs under this Act through the Child 

Protection Division, including programs which prevent or address offenses committed against vulnerable children and 

which support missing children’s organizations; and 

ø(10) a key component of such programs is the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, which— 

ø(A) serves as a national resource center and clearinghouse; 

ø(B) works in partnership with the Department of Justice, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United 

States Marshals Service, the Department of the Treasury, 

the Department of State, the Bureau of Immigration and 

Customs Enforcement, the United States Secret Service, 

the United States Postal Inspection Service, and many 

other agencies in the effort to find missing children and 

prevent child victimization; and 

ø(C) operates a national network, linking the Center online with each of the missing children clearinghouses operated by the 50 States, the District of Columbia, and Puerto 

Rico, as well as with international organizations, including 

Scotland Yard in the United Kingdom, the Royal Canadian 

Mounted Police, INTERPOL headquarters in Lyon, France, 

and others, which enable the Center to transmit images 

and information regarding missing and exploited children 

to law enforcement across the United States and around 

the world instantly.¿ 

(7) a key component of such programs is the National Center 

for Missing and Exploited Children that— 

(A) serves as a nonprofit, national resource center and 

clearinghouse to provide assistance to victims, families, 

child-serving professionals, and the general public; 

(B) works with the Department of Justice, the Federal 

Bureau of Investigation, the United States Marshals Service, the Department of the Treasury, the Department of 

State, the United States Immigration and Customs EnVerDate Sep 11 2014 04:21 May 06, 2017 Jkt 069006 PO 00000 Frm 00015 Fmt 6659 Sfmt 6603 E:\HR\OC\HR110.XXX HR110
16 

forcement, the United States Secret Service, the United 

States Postal Inspection Service, other agencies, and nongovernmental organizations in the effort to find missing 

children and to prevent child victimization; and 

(C) coordinates with each of the missing children clearinghouses operated by the 50 States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and international organizations to transmit images and information regarding missing and exploited children to law enforcement, nongovernmental organizations, and corporate partners across the United States 

and around the world instantly. 

DEFINITIONS

SEC. 403. For the purpose of this title— 

(1) the term ‘‘missing child’’ means any individual less than 

18 years of age whose whereabouts are unknown to such individual’s ølegal custodian¿ parent if— 

(A) the circumstances surrounding such individual’s disappearance indicate that such individual may possibly 

have been removed by another from the control of such individual’s ølegal custodian¿ parent without such 

øcustodian’s¿ parent’s consent; 

(B) the circumstances of the case strongly indicate that 

such individual is likely to be abused or sexually exploited; 

or 

(C) the individual is an individual under 21 years of age 

who is displaced from the habitual residence of that individual as a result of an emergency or major disaster (as 

those terms are defined in section 102 of the Robert T. 

Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 

U.S.C. 5122))ø.¿; 

(2) the term ‘‘Administrator’’ means the Administrator of the 

Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention; øand¿ 

(3) the term ‘‘Center’’ means the National Center for Missing 

and Exploited Childrenø.¿; and 

(4) the term ‘‘parent’’ includes a legal guardian or other individual standing in loco parentis (such as a grandparent or stepparent with whom the child lives, or an individual who is legally responsible for the child’s welfare). 

DUTIES AND FUNCTIONS OF THE ADMINISTRATOR

SEC. 404. (a) The Administrator shall— 

(1) issue such rules as the Administrator considers necessary 

or appropriate to carry out this title; 

(2) make such arrangements as may be necessary and appropriate to facilitate effective coordination among all federally 

funded programs relating to missing children (including the 

preparation of an annual comprehensive plan for facilitating 

such coordination); 

(3) provide for the furnishing of information derived from the 

national toll-free øtelephone line¿ hotline, established under 

subsection (b)(1), to appropriate entities; 

(4) coordinate with the United States Interagency Council on 

Homelessness to ensure that homeless services professionals 

17 

are aware of educational resources and assistance provided by 

the Center regarding child sexual exploitation; 

(5) provide adequate staff and agency resources which are 

necessary to properly carry out the responsibilities pursuant to 

this title; and 

(6) not later than 180 days after the end of each fiscal year, 

submit a report to the President, Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Committee on Education and the Workforce 

of the House of Representatives, the President pro tempore of 

the Senate, and the Committee on the Judiciary of the Senate— 

(A) containing a comprehensive plan for facilitating cooperation and coordination in the succeeding fiscal year 

among all agencies and organizations with responsibilities 

related to missing children; 

(B) identifying and summarizing effective models of Federal, State, and local coordination and cooperation in locating and recovering missing children; 

(C) identifying and summarizing effective program models that provide treatment, counseling, or other aid to parents of missing children or to children who have been the 

victims of abduction; 

(D) describing how the Administrator satisfied the requirements of paragraph (4) in the preceding fiscal year; 

(E) describing in detail the number types of telephone 

calls received in the preceding fiscal year over the national 

toll-free øtelephone line¿ hotline established under subsection ø(b)(1)(A) and¿ (b)(1)(A), the number and types of 

communications referred to the national communications 

system established under section 331, and the number and 

types of reports to the tipline established under subsection 

(b)(1)(K)(i); 

(F) describing in detail the activities in the preceding fiscal year of the national resource center and clearinghouse 

established under subsection (b)(2); 

(G) describing all the programs for which assistance was 

provided under section 405 in the preceding fiscal year; 

(H) summarizing the results of all research completed in 

the preceding year for which assistance was provided at 

any time under this title; and 

(I)(i) identifying each clearinghouse with respect to 

which assistance is provided under section 405(a)(9) in the 

preceding fiscal year; 

(ii) describing the activities carried out by such clearinghouse in such fiscal year; 

(iii) specifying the types and amounts of assistance 

(other than assistance under section 405(a)(9)) received by 

such clearinghouse in such fiscal year; and 

(iv) specifying the number and types of missing children 

cases handled (and the number of such cases resolved) by 

such clearinghouse in such fiscal year and summarizing 

the circumstances of each such cases. 

(b) ANNUAL GRANT TO NATIONAL CENTER FOR MISSING AND EXPLOITED CHILDREN.— 

18 

(1) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator shall annually make a 

grant to the Center, which shall be used to— 

(A)(i) operate a national 24-hour toll-free øtelephone 

line¿ hotline by which individuals may report information 

regarding the location of any missing child, and request information pertaining to procedures necessary to reunite 

such child with such child’s ølegal custodian¿ parent; and 

(ii) coordinate the operation of such øtelephone line¿ hotline with the operation of the national communications 

system referred to in part C of the Runaway and Homeless 

Youth Act (42 U.S.C. 5714–11); 

(B) operate the official national resource center and information clearinghouse for missing and exploited children; 

(C) provide to State and local governments, public and 

private nonprofit agencies, State and local educational 

agencies, and individuals, information regarding— 

(i) free or low-cost legal, ørestaurant¿ food, lodging, 

and transportation services that are available for the 

benefit of missing and exploited children and their 

families; øand¿ 

(ii) the existence and nature of programs being carried out by Federal agencies to assist missing and exploited children and their families; and 

(iii) innovative and model programs, services, and 

legislation that benefit missing and exploited children; 

(D) coordinate public and private programs that locate, 

recover, or reunite missing children with their families; 

ø(E) disseminate, on a national basis, information relating to innovative and model programs, services, and legislation that benefit missing and exploited children; 

ø(F) based solely on reports received by the National 

Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), and 

not involving any data collection by NCMEC other than 

the receipt of those reports, annually provide to the Department of Justice’s Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention— 

ø(i) the number of children nationwide who are reported to NCMEC as missing; 

ø(ii) the number of children nationwide who are reported to NCMEC as victims of non-family abductions; 

ø(iii) the number of children nationwide who are reported to NCMEC as victims of parental kidnappings; 

and 

ø(iv) the number of children recovered nationwide 

whose recovery was reported to NCMEC; 

ø(G) provide, at the request of State and local governments, and public and private nonprofit agencies, guidance 

on how to facilitate the lawful use of school records and 

birth certificates to identify and locate missing children; 

ø(H) provide technical assistance and training to law enforcement agencies, State and local governments, elements 

of the criminal justice system, public and private nonprofit 

agencies, and individuals in the prevention, investigation, 

19 

prosecution, and treatment of cases involving missing and 

exploited children; 

ø(I) provide assistance to families and law enforcement 

agencies in locating and recovering missing and exploited 

children, both nationally and, in cooperation with the Department of State, internationally; 

ø(J) provide analytical support and technical assistance 

to law enforcement agencies through searching public 

records databases in locating and recovering missing and 

exploited children and helping to locate and identify abductors; 

ø(K) provide direct on-site technical assistance and consultation to law enforcement agencies in child abduction 

and exploitation cases; 

ø(L) provide forensic technical assistance and consultation to law enforcement and other agencies in the identification of unidentified deceased children through facial reconstruction of skeletal remains and similar techniques; 

ø(M) track the incidence of attempted child abductions 

in order to identify links and patterns, and provide such 

information to law enforcement agencies; 

ø(N) provide training and assistance to law enforcement 

agencies in identifying and locating non-compliant sex offenders;¿ 

(E) provide technical assistance and training to families, 

law enforcement agencies, State and local governments, elements of the criminal justice system, nongovernmental 

agencies, local educational agencies, and the general public— 

(i) in the prevention, investigation, prosecution, and 

treatment of cases involving missing and exploited children; 

(ii) to respond to foster children missing from the 

State child welfare system in coordination with child 

welfare agencies and courts handling juvenile justice 

and dependency matters; and 

(iii) in the identification, location, and recovery of 

victims of, and children at risk for, child sex trafficking; 

(F) provide assistance to families, law enforcement agencies, State and local governments, nongovernmental agencies, child-serving professionals, and other individuals involved in the location and recovery of missing and abducted children, both nationally, and in cooperation with 

the Department of State, internationally; 

(G) provide support and technical assistance to childserving professionals involved in helping to recover missing 

and exploited children by searching public records databases to help in the identification, location, and recovery of 

such children, and help in the location and identification 

of potential abductors and offenders; 

(H) provide forensic and direct on-site technical assistance and consultation to families, law enforcement agencies, child-serving professionals, and nongovernmental organizations in child abduction and exploitation cases, inVerDate Sep 11 2014 04:21 May 06, 2017 Jkt 069006 PO 00000 Frm 00019 Fmt 6659 Sfmt 6603 E:\HR\OC\HR110.XXX HR110
20 

cluding facial reconstruction of skeletal remains and similar techniques to assist in the identification of unidentified 

deceased children; 

(I) provide training, technical assistance, and information to nongovernmental organizations relating to non-compliant sex offenders and to law enforcement agencies in 

identifying and locating such individuals; 

ø(O)¿ (J) facilitate the deployment of the National Emergency Child Locator Center to assist in reuniting missing 

children with their families during periods of national disasters; 

ø(P) operate a cyber tipline to provide online users and 

electronic service providers an effective means of reporting 

Internet-related child sexual exploitation in the areas of— 

ø(i) possession, manufacture, and distribution of 

child pornography; 

ø(ii) online enticement of children for sexual acts; 

ø(iii) child sex trafficking, including child prostitution; 

ø(iv) sex tourism involving children; 

ø(v) extrafamilial child sexual molestation; 

ø(vi) unsolicited obscene material sent to a child; 

ø(vii) misleading domain names; and 

ø(viii) misleading words or digital images on the 

Internet, 

and subsequently to transmit such reports, including relevant images and information, to the appropriate international, Federal, State or local law enforcement agency 

for investigation; 

ø(Q) work with law enforcement, Internet service providers, electronic payment service providers, and others on 

methods to reduce the distribution on the Internet of images and videos of sexually exploited children; 

ø(R) operate a child victim identification program in 

order to assist the efforts of law enforcement agencies in 

identifying victims of child pornography and other sexual 

crimes; 

ø(S) develop and disseminate programs and information 

to the general public, schools, public officials, youth-serving organizations, and nonprofit organizations, directly or 

through grants or contracts with public agencies and public and private nonprofit organizations, on— 

ø(i) the prevention of child abduction and sexual exploitation; and 

ø(ii) internet safety; 

ø(T) provide technical assistance and training to State 

and local law enforcement agencies and statewide clearinghouses to coordinate with State and local educational 

agencies in identifying and recovering missing children;¿ 

(K) work with families, law enforcement agencies, electronic service providers, electronic payment service providers, technology companies, nongovernmental organizations, and others on methods to reduce the existence and 

distribution of online images and videos of sexually exploited children— 

21 

(i) by operating a tipline to provide to individuals 

and electronic service providers an effective means of 

reporting Internet-related and other instances of child 

sexual exploitation in the areas of— 

(I) possession, manufacture, and distribution of 

child pornography; 

(II) online enticement of children for sexual acts; 

(III) child sex trafficking; 

(IV) sex tourism involving children; 

(V) extra familial child sexual molestation; 

(VI) unsolicited obscene material sent to a child; 

(VII) misleading domain names; and 

(VIII) misleading words or digital images on the 

Internet; 

and subsequently to make such reports available to the 

appropriate law enforcement agency for its review and 

potential investigation; 

(ii) by operating a child victim identification program to assist law enforcement agencies in identifying 

victims of child pornography and other sexual crimes 

to support the recovery of children from sexually exploitative situations; and 

(iii) by utilizing emerging technologies to provide additional outreach and educational materials to parents 

and families; 

(L) develop and disseminate programs and information 

to families, child-serving professionals, law enforcement 

agencies, State and local governments, nongovernmental organizations, schools, local educational agencies, child-serving organizations, and the general public on— 

(i) the prevention of child abduction and sexual exploitation; 

(ii) Internet safety, including tips for social media 

and cyberbullying; and 

(iii) sexting and sextortion; and 

(M) provide technical assistance and training to local 

educational agencies, schools, State and local law enforcement agencies, individuals, and other nongovernmental organizations that assist with finding missing and abducted 

children in identifying and recovering such children. 

ø(U)¿ (N) assist the efforts of law enforcement agencies 

in coordinating with child welfare agencies to respond to 

foster children missing from the State welfare system; and 

ø(V)¿ (O) provide technical assistance to law enforcement agencies and first responders in identifying, locating, 

and recovering victims of, and children at risk for, child 

sex trafficking. 

(2) LIMITATION.— 

(A) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding any other provision 

of law, no Federal funds may be used to pay the compensation of an individual employed by the Center if such compensation, as determined at the beginning of each grant 

year, exceeds 110 percent of the maximum annual salary 

payable to a member of the Federal Government’s Senior 

Executive Service (SES) for that year. The Center may 

22 

compensate an employee at a higher rate provided the 

amount in excess of this limitation is paid with non-Federal funds. 

(B) DEFINITION OF COMPENSATION.—For the purpose of 

this paragraph, the term ‘‘compensation’’— 

(i) includes salary, bonuses, periodic payments, severance pay, the value of a compensatory or paid leave 

benefit not excluded by clause (ii), and the fair market 

value of any employee perquisite or benefit not excluded by clause (ii); and 

(ii) excludes any Center expenditure for health, 

medical, or life insurance, or disability or retirement 

pay, including pensions benefits. 

(c) NATIONAL INCIDENCE STUDIES.—The Administrator, either by 

making grants to or entering into contracts with public agencies or 

nonprofit private agencies, shall— 

(1) triennially conduct national incidence studies to determine for a given year the actual number of children reported 

missing each year, the number of children who are victims of 

abduction by strangers, the number of children who are the 

victims of parental kidnappings, and the number of children 

who are recovered each year; and 

(2) provide to State and local governments, public and private nonprofit agencies, and individuals information to facilitate the lawful use of school records and birth certificates, in 

compliance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy 

Act of 1974 (20 U.S.C. 1232g) to identify and locate missing 

children. 

(d) Nothing contained in this title shall be construed to grant to 

the Administrator any law enforcement responsibility or supervisory authority over any other Federal agency. 

GRANTS

SEC. 405. (a) The Administrator is authorized to make grants to 

and enter into contracts with the Center and with public agencies 

or nonprofit private organizations, or combinations thereof, for research, demonstration projects, or service programs designed— 

(1) to educate parents, children, schools, school leaders, 

teachers, State and local educational agencies, homeless shelters and service providers, and community agencies and organizations in ways to prevent the abduction and sexual exploitation of children; 

(2) to provide information to assist in the locating and return 

of missing children; 

(3) to aid communities and schools in the collection of materials which would be useful to parents in assisting others in 

the identification of missing children; 

(4) to increase knowledge of and develop effective treatment 

pertaining to the psychological consequences, on both parents 

and children, of— 

(A) the abduction of a child, both during the period of 

disappearance and after the child is recovered; and 

(B) the sexual exploitation of a missing child; 

23 

(5) to collect detailed data from selected States or localities 

on the actual investigative practices utilized by law enforcement agencies in missing children’s cases; 

(6) to address the particular needs of missing children by 

minimizing the negative impact of judicial and law enforcement procedures on children who are victims of abuse or sexual exploitation and by promoting the active participation of 

children and their families in cases involving abuse or sexual 

exploitation of children; 

(7) to address the needs of missing children ø(as defined in 

section 403(1)(A))¿ and their families following the recovery of 

such children; 

(8) to reduce the likelihood that individuals under 18 years 

of age will be removed from the control of such individuals’ 

ølegal custodians¿ parents without such øcustodians’¿ parents’ 

consent; and 

(9) to establish or operate statewide clearinghouses to assist 

in locating and recovering missing children. 

(b) In considering grant applications under this title, the Administrator shall give priority to applicants who— 

(1) have demonstrated or demonstrate ability in— 

(A) locating missing children or locating and reuniting 

missing children with their ølegal custodians¿ parents; 

(B) providing other services to missing children or their 

families; or 

(C) conducting research relating to missing children; and 

(2) with respect to subparagraphs (A) and (B) of paragraph 

(1), substantially utilize volunteer assistance. 

The Administrator shall give first priority to applicants qualifying 

under subparagraphs (A) and (B) of paragraph (1). 

(c) In order to receive assistance under this title for a fiscal year, 

applicants shall give assurance that they will expend, to the greatest extent practicable, for such fiscal year an amount of funds 

(without regard to any funds received under any Federal law) that 

is not less than the amount of funds they received in the preceding 

fiscal year from State, local, and private sources. 

* * * * * * * 

SEC. 407. REPORTING. 

(a) REQUIRED REPORTING.—As a condition of receiving funds 

under section 404(b), the grant recipient shall, based solely on reports received by the grantee and not involving any data collection 

by the grantee other than those reports, annually provide to the Administrator and make available to the general public, as appropriate— 

(1) the number of children nationwide who are reported to the 

grantee as missing; 

(2) the number of children nationwide who are reported to the 

grantee as victims of non-family abductions; 

(3) the number of children nationwide who are reported to the 

grantee as victims of family abductions; and 

(4) the number of missing children recovered nationwide 

whose recovery was reported to the grantee. 

24 

(b) INCIDENCE OF ATTEMPTED CHILD ABDUCTIONS.—As a condition of receiving funds under section 404(b), the grant recipient 

shall— 

(1) track the incidence of attempted child abductions in order 

to identify links and patterns; 

(2) provide such information to law enforcement agencies; 

and 

(3) make such information available to the general public, as 

appropriate. 

SEC. ø407.¿ 408. OVERSIGHT AND ACCOUNTABILITY. 

All grants awarded by the Department of Justice that are authorized under this title shall be subject to the following: 

AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS

SEC. ø408.¿ 409. (a) IN GENERAL.—To carry out the provisions of 

this title, there are authorized to be appropriated $40,000,000 for 

each of the fiscal years 2014 through 2018, up to $32,200,000 of 

which shall be used to carry out section 404(b) for each such fiscal 

year. 

(b) EVALUATION.—The Administrator may use not more than 5 

percent of the amount appropriated for a fiscal year under subsection (a) to conduct an evaluation of the effectiveness of the programs and activities established and operated under this title. 

* * * * * * * 

Æ