(2) establish voluntary guidelines for States and 
units of local government to use in developing Blue 
Alert plans that will promote compatible and inte-
grated Blue Alert plans throughout the United States, 
including— 
(A) a list of the resources necessary to estab-
lish a Blue Alert plan; 
(B) criteria for evaluating whether a situa-
tion warrants issuing a Blue Alert; 
(C) guidelines to protect the privacy, dig-
nity, independence, and autonomy of any law 
enforcement officer who may be the subject of a 
Blue Alert and the family of the law enforcement 
officer; 
(D) guidelines that a Blue Alert should only 
be issued with respect to a law enforcement offi-
cer if— 
(i) the law enforcement agency in-
volved— 
(I) confirms— 
(aa) the death or serious in-
jury of the law enforcement offi-
cer; or 
(bb) the attack on the law en-
forcement officer and that there is 
VerDate Mar 15 2010 
00:34 May 12, 2012
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00005
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6203
E:\BILLS\H365.RH
H365
tjames on DSK6SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
an indication of the death or seri-
ous injury of the officer; or 
(II) concludes that the law en-
forcement officer is missing in the line 
of duty; 
(ii) there is an indication of serious 
injury to or death of the law enforcement of-
ficer; 
(iii) the suspect involved has not been 
apprehended; and 
(iv) there is sufficient descriptive infor-
mation of the suspect involved and any rel-
evant vehicle and tag numbers; 
(E) guidelines— 
(i) that information relating to a law 
enforcement officer who is seriously injured 
or killed in the line of duty should be pro-
vided to the National Crime Information 
Center database operated by the Federal 
Bureau of Investigation under section 534 
of title 28, United States Code, and any rel-
evant crime information repository of the 
State involved; 
(ii) that a Blue Alert should, to the 
maximum extent practicable (as determined 
VerDate Mar 15 2010 
00:34 May 12, 2012
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00006
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6203
E:\BILLS\H365.RH
H365
tjames on DSK6SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
by the Coordinator in consultation with law 
enforcement agencies of States and units of 
local governments), be limited to the geo-
graphic areas most likely to facilitate the 
apprehension of the suspect involved or 
which the suspect could reasonably reach, 
which should not be limited to State lines; 
(iii) for law enforcement agencies of 
States or units of local government to de-
velop plans to communicate information to 
neighboring States to provide for seamless 
communication of a Blue Alert; and 
(iv) providing that a Blue Alert should 
be suspended when the suspect involved is 
apprehended or when the law enforcement 
agency involved determines that the Blue 
Alert is no longer effective; and 
(F) guidelines for— 
(i) the issuance of Blue Alerts through 
the network; and 
(ii) the extent of the dissemination of 
alerts issued through the network; 
(3) develop protocols for efforts to apprehend sus-
pects that address activities during the period begin-
ning at the time of the initial notification of a law 
VerDate Mar 15 2010 
00:34 May 12, 2012
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00007
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6203
E:\BILLS\H365.RH
H365
tjames on DSK6SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
enforcement agency that a suspect has not been appre-
hended and ending at the time of apprehension of a 
suspect or when the law enforcement agency involved 
determines that the Blue Alert is no longer effective, 
including protocols regulating— 
(A) the use of public safety communications; 
(B) command center operations; and 
(C) incident review, evaluation, debriefing, 
and public information procedures; 
(4) work with States to ensure appropriate re-
gional coordination of various elements of the net-
work; 
(5) establish an advisory group to assist States, 
units of local government, law enforcement agencies, 
and other entities involved in the network with initi-
ating, facilitating, and promoting Blue Alert plans, 
which shall include— 
(A) to the maximum extent practicable, rep-
resentation from the various geographic regions 
of the United States; and 
(B) members who are— 
(i) representatives of a law enforcement 
organization representing rank-and-file offi-
cers; 
VerDate Mar 15 2010 
00:34 May 12, 2012
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00008
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6203
E:\BILLS\H365.RH
H365
tjames on DSK6SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
(ii) representatives of other law en-
forcement agencies and public safety com-
munications; 
(iii) broadcasters, first responders, dis-
patchers, and radio station personnel; and 
(iv) representatives of any other indi-
viduals or organizations that the Coordi-
nator determines are necessary to the suc-
cess of the network; 
(6) act as the nationwide point of contact for— 
(A) the development of the network; and 
(B) regional coordination of Blue Alerts 
through the network; and 
(7) determine— 
(A) what procedures and practices are in 
use for notifying law enforcement and the public 
when a law enforcement officer is killed or seri-
ously injured in the line of duty; and 
(B) which of the procedures and practices 
are effective and that do not require the expendi-
ture of additional resources to implement. 
(c) LIMITATIONS.— 
(1) VOLUNTARY PARTICIPATION.—The guidelines 
established under subsection (b)(2), protocols devel-
oped under subsection (b)(3), and other programs es-
VerDate Mar 15 2010 
00:34 May 12, 2012
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00009
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6203
E:\BILLS\H365.RH
H365
tjames on DSK6SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
tablished under subsection (b), shall not be manda-
tory. 
(2) 
DISSEMINATION
OF
INFORMATION.—The 
guidelines established under subsection (b)(2) shall, to 
the maximum extent practicable (as determined by 
the Coordinator in consultation with law enforcement 
agencies of States and units of local government), 
provide that appropriate information relating to a 
Blue Alert is disseminated to the appropriate officials 
of law enforcement agencies, public health agencies, 
and other agencies. 
(3) PRIVACY
AND
CIVIL
LIBERTIES
PROTEC-
TIONS.—The guidelines established under subsection 
(b) shall— 
(A) provide mechanisms that ensure that 
Blue Alerts comply with all applicable Federal, 
State, and local privacy laws and regulations; 
and 
(B) include standards that specifically pro-
vide for the protection of the civil liberties, in-
cluding the privacy, of law enforcement officers 
who are seriously injured or killed in the line of 
duty and the families of the officers. 
(d) COOPERATION WITH OTHER AGENCIES.—The Co-
ordinator shall cooperate with the Secretary of Homeland 
VerDate Mar 15 2010 
00:34 May 12, 2012
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00010
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6203
E:\BILLS\H365.RH
H365
tjames on DSK6SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
Security, the Secretary of Transportation, the Chairman of 
the Federal Communications Commission, and appropriate 
offices of the Department of Justice in carrying out activi-
ties under this Act. 
(e) RESTRICTIONS
ON COORDINATOR.—The Coordi-
nator may not— 
(1) perform any official travel for the sole pur-
pose of carrying out the duties of the Coordinator; 
(2) lobby any officer of a State regarding the 
funding or implementation of a Blue Alert plan; or 
(3) host a conference focused solely on the Blue 
Alert program that requires the expenditure of Fed-
eral funds. 
(f) REPORTS.—Not later than 1 year after the date of 
enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter, the Coordi-
nator shall submit to Congress a report on the activities 
of the Coordinator and the effectiveness and status of the 
Blue Alert plans that are in effect or being developed. 
SEC. 5. GRANT PROGRAM FOR SUPPORT OF BLUE ALERT 
PLANS. 
Section 1701(b) of title I of the Omnibus Crime Con-
trol and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 3796dd(b)) 
is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (16), by striking ‘‘and’’ at the 
end; 
VerDate Mar 15 2010 
00:34 May 12, 2012
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00011
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6203
E:\BILLS\H365.RH
H365
tjames on DSK6SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
(2) by redesignating paragraph (17) as para-
graph (18); and 
(3) by inserting after paragraph (16) the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(17) to assist a State in the development or en-
hancement of programs and activities in support of 
a Blue Alert plan and the network (as those terms are 
defined in section 2 of the National Blue Alert Act of 
2012), including— 
‘‘(A) developing and implementing edu-
cation and training programs, and associated 
materials, relating to Blue Alert plans; 
‘‘(B) developing and implementing law en-
forcement programs, and associated equipment, 
relating to Blue Alert plans; and 
‘‘(C) developing and implementing new 
technologies to improve the communication of 
Blue Alerts; and’’. 
SEC. 6. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 
Section 1001(a)(11) of the Omnibus Crime Control 
and Safe Streets Act of 1968 is amended by adding at the 
end the following: 
‘‘(C)(i) Of amounts authorized to be appropriated to 
carry out part Q in any fiscal year, $10,000,000 is author-
VerDate Mar 15 2010 
00:34 May 12, 2012
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00012
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6203
E:\BILLS\H365.RH
H365
tjames on DSK6SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
ized to be appropriated for grants for the purposes described 
in section 1701(b)(17). 
‘‘(ii) Amounts appropriated pursuant to clause (i) 
shall remain available until expended.’’. 
VerDate Mar 15 2010 
00:34 May 12, 2012
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00013
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6203
E:\BILLS\H365.RH
H365
tjames on DSK6SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
Union Calendar No. 334 
112TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 365 
[Report No. 112–478] 
A BILL 
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. 
MAY 11, 2012 
Reported with an amendment, committed to the Com-
mittee of the Whole House on the State of the Union, 
and ordered to be printed 
VerDate Mar 15 2010 
00:34 May 12, 2012
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00014
Fmt 6651
Sfmt 6651
E:\BILLS\H365.RH
H365
tjames on DSK6SPTVN1PROD with BILLS