I 
108TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1262
To implement or enhance consistent AMBER Alert plans throughout the 
country. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 13, 2003
Mr. FOLEY introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 
on the Judiciary 
A BILL 
To implement or enhance consistent AMBER Alert plans 
throughout the country.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘National AMBER 
Alert Improvement Act’’. 
SEC. 2. AMBER ALERT COORDINATOR. 
(a) COORDINATOR.—The Attorney General shall es-
tablish an AMBER Alert Coordinator position (referred 
to in this Act as the ‘‘Coordinator’’). The Coordinator 
shall—
(1) establish guidelines to ensure AMBER Alert 
plans are consistent throughout the United States, 
including—
(A) criteria to determine if ample resources 
are available to establish an AMBER Alert 
plan; 
(B) criteria regarding confirmation by a 
law enforcement agency that an abduction of a 
child has occurred which threatens the life or 
physical well being of the child and warrants 
issuing an alert; 
(C) each State or a group of States, by 
written agreement, establishes a central point of 
command to share information and ensure qual-
ity control; and 
(D) use of the name AMBER in identi-
fying the plan to avoid confusion; and 
(2) develop a prototype of protocols for each 
child recovery plan from initial contact through re-
unification with family, including—
(A) a public safety communications pro-
tocol; 
(B) investigations protocol and investiga-
tion cooperation agreements; 
(C) case management protocol;
(D) command center operations; 
(E) reunification with family; 
(F) prosecution coordination; 
(G) aftercare for victims; and 
(H) incident review, evaluation, and de-
briefing. 
SEC. 3. TRAINING AND EVALUATION. 
(a) TRAINING.—The Coordinator shall make avail-
able throughout the country to agencies and organizations 
implementing an AMBER Alert plan, including law en-
forcement, broadcasters, chief executive officers, first re-
sponders, dispatchers, public safety communications, and 
radio station personnel—
(1) training and educational programs which 
are updated regularly to ensure compliance with new 
tools, technologies, and resources; and 
(2) informational material, including brochures, 
videos, posters, and web sites to support and supple-
ment training and educational programs. 
(b) EVALUATION.—The Coordinator shall make 
available to any State or local agency or organization in-
volved with the AMBER plan program monitoring, annual 
evaluation, and plan testing.
SEC. 4. ADVISORY GROUP. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Coordinator shall establish 
an advisory group to assist agencies or organizations that 
do not participate in the AMBER plan. 
(b) PARTICIPANTS.—In selecting individuals to serve 
on the advisory group, the Coordinator shall include rep-
resentation from different geographic areas of the country 
that includes individuals from law enforcement, broad-
casters, chief executive officers, first responders, dis-
patchers, public safety communications, and radio station 
personnel. 
SEC. 5. TECHNOLOGY GRANTS. 
(a) GRANT PROGRAM.—The Coordinator shall estab-
lish a grant program to provide States with grants to im-
plement new technologies which improve AMBER Alert 
communications. 
(b) REPORT.—The Coordinator shall submit a report 
to Congress not less than once every 3 years regarding 
new technologies that may be used to assist in dissemi-
nating AMBER Alerts. 
SEC. 6. REPORTS. 
The Coordinator shall submit a report to Congress 
annually regarding the activities of the Office and the ef-
fectiveness and status of each State that has established 
AMBER plans.
SEC. 7. DEFINITIONS. 
For purposes of this Act— 
(1) the term ‘‘State’’ means each of the 50 
States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth 
of Puerto Rico, and each of the outlying areas; and 
(2) OUTLYING
AREA.—The term ‘‘outlying 
area’’ means the United States Virgin Islands, 
Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of 
the Northern Mariana Islands. 
SEC. 8. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 
There are authorized to be appropriated—
(1) $25,000,000 to carry out training programs 
under section 2(a) for each of fiscal years 2004 
through 2009; 
(2) $50,000,000 to provide technology grants 
under section 4(a) for each of fiscal years 2004 
through 2009; and 
(3) such sums as may be necessary to carry out 
this Act other than sections 2(a) and 4(a) for each 
of fiscal years 2004 through 2009.
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