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108TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. R. 412

To enhance the operation of the AMBER Alert communications network

in order to facilitate the recovery of abducted children, to provide for

enhanced notification on highways of alerts and information on such

children, and for other purposes.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

JANUARY 28, 2003

Mr. FROST (for himself, Ms. DUNN, Mr. LAMPSON, Mr. POMBO, Mr. CONYERS, Ms. GRANGER, Mr. SCHIFF, Mr. HOLT, Mr. BELL, Mr. MEEHAN,

Mr. MATHESON, Mr. HASTINGS of Florida, Mr. KILDEE, Mr. SERRANO,

Mr. MENENDEZ, Mr. WEXLER, Mr. EDWARDS, Mrs. BONO, Mr. MCINTYRE, Mr. GUTIERREZ, Mr. BISHOP of New York, Mr. PALLONE, Mr.

MOORE, Ms. MCCARTHY of Missouri, Mrs. TAUSCHER, Mr. HOLDEN, Ms.

KAPTUR, Mrs. MALONEY, Mr. BROWN of Ohio, Mr. LUCAS of Kentucky,

Mr. ROYCE, Ms. WOOLSEY, Mr. HONDA, Ms. NORTON, Ms. BALDWIN,

Mr. HILL, Mrs. JOHNSON of Connecticut, Mr. REYES, Mr. ROSS, Mr.

RODRIGUEZ, Ms. LOFGREN, Ms. HOOLEY of Oregon, Mr. BRADY of

Texas, Mr. UDALL of New Mexico, Mr. LARSON of Connecticut, Mr.

POMEROY, Mr. CANNON, Mr. STRICKLAND, Mr. GREEN of Texas, Mr.

PASCRELL, Mr. FARR, Mr. LANGEVIN, Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN, Mr.

KLECZKA, Mr. BAKER, Mr. WILSON of South Carolina, Mr. WU, Mr.

RENZI, Mr. CARDOZA, Mr. LARSEN of Washington, Mr. NETHERCUTT,

Mr. LEWIS of California, Mr. TERRY, Mr. ACEVEDO-VILA, Mr. RAMSTAD,

Mr. DAVIS of Alabama, Mr. ENGEL, Mr. SPRATT, Mr. BARTON of Texas,

Mr. STENHOLM, Mr. MARKEY, Mr. TANNER, Mr. WYNN, Mrs. DAVIS of

California, Mr. CALVERT, Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas, Mr.

BACHUS, Mr. SMITH of New Jersey, Ms. BERKLEY, Mr. INSLEE, Mr.

EMANUEL, Ms. DELAURO, Ms. MCCOLLUM, Ms. SCHAKOWSKY, Mrs.

JONES of Ohio, Mr. SCOTT of Virginia, Mr. BACA, Ms. CORRINE BROWN

of Florida, Mr. STUPAK, Mr. BURGESS, Mrs. BIGGERT, Mr.

HENSARLING, Mr. MICHAUD, Mr. HEFLEY, Mr. TIERNEY, Mr. COOPER,

Mr. KIND, Mr. WOLF, and Mr. MCHUGH) introduced the following bill;

which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition

to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, for a period to

be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee

concerned
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A BILL

To enhance the operation of the AMBER Alert communications network in order to facilitate the recovery of abducted children, to provide for enhanced notification on

highways of alerts and information on such children,

and for other purposes.

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘National AMBER

5 Alert Network Act of 2003’’.

6 SEC. 2. NATIONAL COORDINATION OF AMBER ALERT COM7 MUNICATIONS NETWORK.

8 (a) COORDINATION WITHIN DEPARTMENT OF JUS9 TICE.—The Attorney General shall assign an officer of the

10 Department of Justice to act as the national coordinator

11 of the AMBER Alert communications network regarding

12 abducted children. The officer so designated shall be

13 known as the AMBER Alert Coordinator of the Depart14 ment of Justice.

15 (b) DUTIES.—In acting as the national coordinator

16 of the AMBER Alert communications network, the Coor17 dinator shall—

18 (1) seek to eliminate gaps in the network, in19 cluding gaps in areas of interstate travel;
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1 (2) work with States to encourage the develop2 ment of additional elements (known as local

3 AMBER plans) in the network;

4 (3) work with States to ensure appropriate re5 gional coordination of various elements of the net6 work; and

7 (4) act as the nationwide point of contact for—

8 (A) the development of the network; and

9 (B) regional coordination of alerts on ab10 ducted children through the network.

11 (c) CONSULTATION WITH FEDERAL BUREAU OF IN12 VESTIGATION.—In carrying out duties under subsection

13 (b), the Coordinator shall notify and consult with the Di14 rector of the Federal Bureau of Investigation concerning

15 each child abduction for which an alert is issued through

16 the AMBER Alert communications network.

17 (d) COOPERATION.—The Coordinator shall cooperate

18 with the Secretary of Transportation and the Federal

19 Communications Commission in carrying out activities

20 under this section.

21 SEC. 3. MINIMUM STANDARDS FOR ISSUANCE AND DIS22 SEMINATION OF ALERTS THROUGH AMBER

23 ALERT COMMUNICATIONS NETWORK.

24 (a) ESTABLISHMENT OF MINIMUM STANDARDS.—

25 Subject to subsection (b), the AMBER Alert Coordinator
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1 of the Department of Justice shall establish minimum

2 standards for—

3 (1) the issuance of alerts through the AMBER

4 Alert communications network; and

5 (2) the extent of the dissemination of alerts

6 issued through the network.

7 (b) LIMITATIONS.—(1) The minimum standards es8 tablished under subsection (a) shall be adoptable on a vol9 untary basis only.

10 (2) The minimum standards shall, to the maximum

11 extent practicable (as determined by the Coordinator in

12 consultation with State and local law enforcement agen13 cies), provide that the dissemination of an alert through

14 the AMBER Alert communications network be limited to

15 the geographic areas most likely to facilitate the recovery

16 of the abducted child concerned.

17 (3) In carrying out activities under subsection (a),

18 the Coordinator may not interfere with the current system

19 of voluntary coordination between local broadcasters and

20 State and local law enforcement agencies for purposes of

21 the AMBER Alert communications network.

22 (c) COOPERATION.—(1) The Coordinator shall co23 operate with the Secretary of Transportation and the Fed24 eral Communications Commission in carrying out activi25 ties under this section.
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1 (2) The Coordinator shall also cooperate with local

2 broadcasters and State and local law enforcement agencies

3 in establishing minimum standards under this section.

4 SEC. 4. GRANT PROGRAM FOR NOTIFICATION AND COMMU5 NICATIONS SYSTEMS ALONG HIGHWAYS FOR

6 RECOVERY OF ABDUCTED CHILDREN.

7 (a) PROGRAM REQUIRED.—The Secretary of Trans8 portation shall carry out a program to provide grants to

9 States for the development or enhancement of notification

10 or communications systems along highways for alerts and

11 other information for the recovery of abducted children.

12 (b) ACTIVITIES.—Activities funded by grants under

13 the program under subsection (a) may include—

14 (1) the development or enhancement of elec15 tronic message boards along highways and the place16 ment of additional signage along highways; and

17 (2) the development or enhancement of other

18 means of disseminating along highways alerts and

19 other information for the recovery of abducted chil20 dren.

21 (c) FEDERAL SHARE.—The Federal share of the cost

22 of any activities funded by a grant under the program

23 under subsection (a) may not exceed 50 percent.

24 (d) DISTRIBUTION OF GRANT AMOUNTS ON GEO25 GRAPHIC BASIS.—The Secretary shall, to the maximum
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1 extent practicable, ensure the distribution of grants under

2 the program under subsection (a) on an equitable basis

3 throughout the various regions of the United States.

4 (e) ADMINISTRATION.—The Secretary shall prescribe

5 requirements, including application requirements, for

6 grants under the program under subsection (a).

7 (f) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—(1)

8 There is authorized to be appropriated for the Department

9 of Transportation $20,000,000 for fiscal year 2004 to

10 carry out this section.

11 (2) Amounts appropriated pursuant to the authoriza12 tion of appropriations in paragraph (1) shall remain avail13 able until expended.

14 SEC. 5. GRANT PROGRAM FOR SUPPORT OF AMBER ALERT

15 COMMUNICATIONS PLANS.

16 (a) PROGRAM REQUIRED.—The Attorney General

17 shall carry out a program to provide grants to States for

18 the development or enhancement of programs and activi19 ties for the support of AMBER Alert communications

20 plans.

21 (b) ACTIVITIES.—Activities funded by grants under

22 the program under subsection (a) may include—

23 (1) the development and implementation of edu24 cation and training programs, and associated mate-
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1 rials, relating to AMBER Alert communications

2 plans;

3 (2) the development and implementation of law

4 enforcement programs, and associated equipment,

5 relating to AMBER Alert communications plans;

6 and

7 (3) such other activities as the Secretary con8 siders appropriate for supporting the AMBER Alert

9 communications program.

10 (c) FEDERAL SHARE.—The Federal share of the cost

11 of any activities funded by a grant under the program

12 under subsection (a) may not exceed 50 percent.

13 (d) DISTRIBUTION OF GRANT AMOUNTS ON GEO14 GRAPHIC BASIS.—The Attorney General shall, to the max15 imum extent practicable, ensure the distribution of grants

16 under the program under subsection (a) on an equitable

17 basis throughout the various regions of the United States.

18 (e) ADMINISTRATION.—The Attorney General shall

19 prescribe requirements, including application require20 ments, for grants under the program under subsection (a).

21 (f) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—(1)

22 There is authorized to be appropriated for the Department

23 of Justice $5,000,000 for fiscal year 2004 to carry out

24 this section.
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1 (2) Amounts appropriated pursuant to the authoriza2 tion of appropriations in paragraph (1) shall remain avail3 able until expended.

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