29–006 

113TH CONGRESS REPORT " ! HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 1st Session 113–54 

NATIONAL BLUE ALERT ACT OF 2013 

MAY 14, 2013.—Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of 

the Union and ordered to be printed 

Mr. GOODLATTE, from the Committee on the Judiciary, 

submitted the following 

R E P O R T 

[To accompany H.R. 180] 

[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office] 

The Committee on the Judiciary, to whom was referred the bill 

(H.R. 180) to encourage, enhance, and integrate Blue Alert plans 

throughout the United States in order to disseminate information 

when a law enforcement officer is seriously injured or killed in the 

line of duty, having considered the same, reports favorably thereon 

without amendment and recommends that the bill do pass. 

CONTENTS 

Page 

Purpose and Summary ............................................................................................ 1 

Background and Need for the Legislation ............................................................. 2 

Hearings ................................................................................................................... 2 

Committee Consideration ........................................................................................ 2 

Committee Votes ...................................................................................................... 2 

Committee Oversight Findings ............................................................................... 3 

New Budget Authority and Tax Expenditures ...................................................... 3 

Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate .......................................................... 3 

Duplication of Federal Programs ............................................................................ 4 

Disclosure of Directed Rule Makings ..................................................................... 4 

Performance Goals and Objectives ......................................................................... 4 

Advisory on Earmarks ............................................................................................. 4 

Section-by-Section Analysis .................................................................................... 4 

Purpose and Summary 

H.R. 180 directs the formation of a national Blue Alert communications network within the Department of Justice (DOJ) to disseminate information when a law enforcement officer is seriously 

injured or killed in the line of duty and a suspect has not been apVerDate Mar 15 2010 02:28 May 15, 2013 Jkt 029006 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6659 Sfmt 6601 E:\HR\OC\HR054.XXX HR054

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prehended. An existing DOJ officer shall act as the national coordinator of the Blue Alert communications network who shall 1) encourage states and local governments to develop additional Blue 

Alert plans, 2) establish voluntary guidelines for states and local 

governments to use in developing such plans, 3) develop protocols 

for efforts to apprehend suspects, and 4) establish an advisory 

group to assist states, local governments, law enforcement agencies, and other entities in initiating, facilitating, and promoting 

Blue Alert plans. 

Background and Need for the Legislation 

This bill would encourage and enhance an integrated Blue Alert 

communications network throughout the United States in order to 

disseminate information and speed apprehension of violent criminals when a law enforcement officer is seriously injured or killed 

in the line of duty. Blue Alerts would use the same infrastructure 

as Amber Alerts (missing children) and Silver Alerts (missing seniors). 

Each year, hundreds of law enforcement officers are killed or seriously injured in the line of duty. Despite this, law enforcement 

officers put their lives on the line every day, working long and irregular hours in stressful and dangerous conditions. Since 1791, 

over 19,000 law enforcement officers have been killed in the line 

of duty in the United States. 

The Blue Alert system is a cooperative effort among local, state 

and Federal authorities, law enforcement agencies and the general 

public. A Blue Alert provides a description of an offender who is 

still at large and may include a description of the offender’s vehicle 

and license plate information. 

The bill directs the Department of Justice to designate a Blue 

Alert national coordinator who will encourage states that have not 

already done so to develop Blue Alert plans and establish voluntary 

guidelines. 

Like Amber Alerts, Blue Alerts help hinder the offender’s ability 

to flee and will facilitate a speedy capture. Blue Alerts also help 

to eliminate the grave threat which each offender poses to the general public and to law enforcement personnel. 

Eighteen states currently have Blue Alert networks in place. At 

least six more states are considering Blue Alert networks and/or 

have legislation pending. 

Hearings 

The Committee on the Judiciary held no hearings on H.R. 180. 

Committee Consideration 

On May 7, 2013, the Committee met in open session and ordered 

the bill H.R. 180 favorably reported without amendment, by voice 

vote, a quorum being present. 

Committee Votes 

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

House of Representatives, the Committee advises that there were 


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no recorded votes during the Committee’s consideration of H.R. 

180. 

Committee Oversight Findings 

In compliance with clause 3(c)(1) of rule XIII of the Rules of the 

House of Representatives, the Committee advises that the findings 

and recommendations of the Committee, based on oversight activities under clause 2(b)(1) of rule X of the Rules of the House of Representatives, are incorporated in the descriptive portions of this report. 

New Budget Authority and Tax Expenditures 

Clause 3(c)(2) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives is inapplicable because this legislation does not provide new 

budgetary authority or increased tax expenditures. 

Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate 

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

House of Representatives, the Committee sets forth, with respect to 

the bill, H.R. 180, the following estimate and comparison prepared 

by the Director of the Congressional Budget Office under section 

402 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974: 

U.S. CONGRESS, 

CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE, 

Washington, DC, May 9, 2013. 

Hon. BOB GOODLATTE, CHAIRMAN, Committee on the Judiciary, 

House of Representatives, Washington, DC. 

DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN: The Congressional Budget Office has prepared the enclosed cost estimate for H.R. 180, the ‘‘National Blue 

Alert Act of 2013.’’ 

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

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

can be reached at 226-2860. 

Sincerely, 

DOUGLAS W. ELMENDORF, 

DIRECTOR. 

Enclosure 

cc: Honorable John Conyers, Jr. 

Ranking Member 

H.R. 180—National Blue Alert Act of 2013. 

As ordered reported by the House Committee on the Judiciary 

on May 7, 2013. 

H.R. 180 would require the Department of Justice (DOJ) to establish and promote a national communications network to issue 

alerts (that would be known as ‘‘blue alerts’’) when a law enforcement officer is killed or seriously injured. Under the bill’s provisions, the department would develop guidelines and protocols for 


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State and local governments that participate in the program and 

provide assistance as necessary to those participants. 

Based on the costs of similar activities, CBO estimates that it 

would cost about $1 million annually from appropriated funds for 

DOJ to establish and administer the new program. Enacting the 

legislation would not affect direct spending or revenues; therefore, 

pay-as-you-go procedures do not apply. 

H.R. 180 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 Theresa Gullo, Deputy Assistant Director for Budget Analysis. 

Duplication of Federal Programs 

No provision of H.R. 180 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 H.R. 180 specifically directs to be 

completed no specific rule makings within the meaning of 5 U.S.C. 

551. 

Performance Goals and Objectives 

The Committee states that pursuant to clause 3(c)(4) of rule XIII 

of the Rules of the House of Representatives, H.R. 180 will encourage and enhance an integrated Blue Alert communications network 

throughout the United States in order to disseminate information 

and speed apprehension of violent criminals when a law enforcement officer is seriously injured or killed in the line of duty. 

Advisory on Earmarks 

In accordance with clause 9 of rule XXI of the Rules of the House 

of Representatives, H.R. 180 does not contain any congressional 

earmarks, limited tax benefits, or limited tariff benefits as defined 

in clause 9(e), 9(f), or 9(g) of Rule XXI. 

Section-by-Section Analysis 

The following discussion describes the bill as reported by the 

Committee. 

Sec. 1: Short Title 

Section 1 provides that the short title of H.R. 180 is the ‘‘National Blue Alert Act of 2013.’’ 

Sec. 2: Definitions 

Section 2 defines certain terms as used in the bill. 


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Sec. 3: Blue Alert Communications Network 

Section 3 directs the Attorney General to establish a national 

Blue Alert communications network within the Department of Justice by initiating, facilitating and promoting Blue Alert plans with 

state and local governments and law enforcement agencies. 

Sec. 4: Blue Alert Coordinator; Guidelines 

Section 4 requires the Attorney General to assign an existing officer of the Department of Justice to act as the national coordinator 

of the Blue Alert communications network. The Section also sets 

forth the coordinator’s duties and limitations. It also restricts the 

coordinator’s ability to travel and hold conferences solely for Blue 

Alert network purposes. 

Æ 


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