I
106TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION
H. R. 3619
To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to require institutions of
higher education to notify parents concerning missing person reports
about their children, and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
FEBRUARY 10, 2000
Mr. ANDREWS introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Education and the Workforce
A BILL
To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to require
institutions of higher education to notify parents con-
cerning missing person reports about their children, and
for other purposes.
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 ‘‘Bryan’s Law’’.
SEC. 2. NOTIFICATION.
Section 485(f) of the Higher Education Act of 1965
(20 U.S.C. 1092(f)) is amended—
(1) by redesignating paragraph (15) as para-
graph (16); and
(2) by inserting after paragraph (14) the fol-
lowing:
‘‘(15) NOTIFICATION.—(A) Each institution
participating in any program under this title, after
the campus police or security authority for the insti-
tution receives a report that a resident student
younger than 21 years of age is missing, shall—
‘‘(i) make a preliminary investigation to
determine the whereabouts of the student; and
‘‘(ii) subject to subparagraph (B) and if
the authority is unable to verify that the stu-
dent is safe within 24 hours of receiving the
report—
‘‘(I) notify the student’s parents, or if
appropriate, any other individual listed as
an emergency contact person for the stu-
dent in records maintained by the institu-
tion, and the local police agency that the
student is missing; and
‘‘(II) cooperate with the local police
agency regarding the investigation of the
missing student such as entering into a
written agreement with the local police
agency that establishes the authority’s and
agency’s responsibilities with respect to an
investigation.
‘‘(B) The 24 hour period described in subpara-
graph (A)(ii) excludes Saturdays, Sundays, and holi-
day periods at the institution, except that once no-
tice is provided under subparagraph (A)(ii)(I) such
period shall apply regardless of the day involved.
‘‘(C) In this paragraph, the term ‘resident stu-
dent’ means a student who lives in a residence that
is owned and operated by the institution or is other-
wise included within the definition of ‘campus’ as
such term is defined in paragraph (5)(A)(i) of this
subsection.
‘‘(D) The Secretary may waive the provisions of
this paragraph upon the request of a State that has
enacted a law with requirements that are similar to
the requirements of this paragraph.
‘‘(E) Nothing in this paragraph may be con-
strued to—
‘‘(i) create a cause of action against any
institution of higher education or any employee
of such an institution for any civil liability; or
‘‘(ii) establish any standard of care.
‘‘(F) Notwithstanding any other provision of
law, evidence regarding compliance or noncompliance
with this paragraph shall not be admissible as evi-
dence in any proceeding of any court, agency, board,
or other entity, except with respect to an action to
enforce this paragraph.
‘‘(G) Section 444 of the General Education
Provisions Act (20 U.S.C. 1232g) shall not be con-
strued to prevent an institution from complying with
this paragraph.’’.
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