[House Report 115-110]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
115th Congress } { Report
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
1st Session } { 115-110
======================================================================
IMPROVING SUPPORT FOR MISSING AND EXPLOITED CHILDREN ACT OF 2017
_______
May 4, 2017.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the
State of the Union and ordered to be printed
_______
Ms. Foxx, from the Committee on Education and the Workforce, submitted
the following
R E P O R T
[To accompany H.R. 1808]
[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]
The Committee on Education and the Workforce, to whom was
referred the bill (H.R. 1808) to amend and improve the Missing
Children's Assistance Act, and for other purposes, having
considered the same, report favorably thereon with an amendment
and recommend that the bill as amended do pass.
The amendment is as follows:
Strike all after the enacting clause and insert the
following:
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Improving Support for Missing and
Exploited Children Act of 2017''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Section 402 of the Missing Children's Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5771)
is amended--
(1) by amending paragraph (1) to read as follows:
``(1) each year tens of thousands of children run away, or
are abducted or removed, from the control of a parent having
legal custody without such parent's consent, under
circumstances which immediately place the child in grave
danger;'',
(2) by striking paragraphs (4) and (5),
(3) in paragraph (6) by inserting ``, including child sex
trafficking and sextortion'' after ``exploitation'',
(4) in paragraph (8) by adding ``and'' at the end,
(5) by striking paragraph (9),
(6) by amending paragraph (10) to read as follows:
``(10) a key component of such programs is the National
Center for Missing and Exploited Children that--
``(A) serves as a nonprofit, national resource center
and clearinghouse to provide assistance to victims,
families, child-serving professionals, and the general
public;
``(B) works with the Department of Justice, the
Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States
Marshals Service, the Department of the Treasury, the
Department of State, the United States Immigration and
Customs Enforcement, the United States Secret Service,
the United States Postal Inspection Service, other
agencies, and nongovernmental organizations in the
effort to find missing children and to prevent child
victimization; and
``(C) coordinates with each of the missing children
clearinghouses operated by the 50 States, the District
of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and international
organizations to transmit images and information
regarding missing and exploited children to law
enforcement, nongovernmental organizations, and
corporate partners across the United States and around
the world instantly.'', and
(7) by redesignating paragraphs (6), (7), (8), and (10) as
paragraphs (4), (5), (6), and (7), respectively.
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.
Section 403 of the Missing Children's Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5772)
is amended--
(1) in paragraph (1)--
(A) by striking ``legal custodian'' each place it
appears and inserting ``parent'',
(B) in subparagraph (A) by striking ``custodian's''
and inserting ``parent's'', and
(C) in subparagraph (C) by striking the period and
the end and inserting a semicolon,
(2) in paragraph (2) by striking ``and'' at the end,
(3) in paragraph (3) by striking the period at the end and
inserting ``; and'', and
(4) by adding at the end the following:
``(4) the term `parent' includes a legal guardian or other
individual standing in loco parentis (such as a grandparent or
stepparent with whom the child lives, or an individual who is
legally responsible for the child's welfare).''.
SEC. 4. DUTIES AND FUNCTIONS OF THE ADMINISTRATOR.
Section 404 of the Missing Children's Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5773)
is amended--
(1) in subsection (a)--
(A) in paragraph (3) by striking ``telephone line''
and inserting ``hotline'', and
(B) in paragraph (6)(E)--
(i) by striking ``telephone line'' and
inserting ``hotline'',
(ii) by striking ``(b)(1)(A) and'' and
inserting ``(b)(1)(A),'', and
(iii) by inserting ``, and the number and
types of reports to the tipline established
under subsection (b)(1)(K)(i)'' before the
semicolon at the end,
(2) in subsection (b)(1)--
(A) in subparagraph (A)--
(i) by striking ``telephone line'' each place
it appears and inserting ``hotline'', and
(ii) by striking ``legal custodian'' and
inserting ``parent'',
(B) in subparagraph (C)--
(i) in clause (i)--
(I) by striking ``restaurant'' and
inserting ``food'', and
(II) by striking ``and'' at the end,
(ii) in clause (ii) by adding ``and'' at the
end, and
(iii) by adding at the end the following:
``(iii) innovative and model programs,
services, and legislation that benefit missing
and exploited children;'',
(C) by striking subparagraphs (E), (F), and (G),
(D) by amending subparagraph (H) to read as follows:
``(H) provide technical assistance and training to
families, law enforcement agencies, State and local
governments, elements of the criminal justice system,
nongovernmental agencies, local educational agencies,
and the general public--
``(i) in the prevention, investigation,
prosecution, and treatment of cases involving
missing and exploited children;
``(ii) to respond to foster children missing
from the State child welfare system in
coordination with child welfare agencies and
courts handling juvenile justice and dependency
matters; and
``(iii) in the identification, location, and
recovery of victims of, and children at risk
for, child sex trafficking;'',
(E) by amending subparagraphs (I), (J), and (K) to
read as follows:
``(I) provide assistance to families, law enforcement
agencies, State and local governments, nongovernmental
agencies, child-serving professionals, and other
individuals involved in the location and recovery of
missing and abducted children, both nationally, and in
cooperation with the Department of State,
internationally;
``(J) provide support and technical assistance to
child-serving professionals involved in helping to
recover missing and exploited children by searching
public records databases to help in the identification,
location, and recovery of such children, and help in
the location and identification of potential abductors
and offenders;
``(K) provide forensic and direct on-site technical
assistance and consultation to families, law
enforcement agencies, child-serving professionals, and
nongovernmental organizations in child abduction and
exploitation cases, including facial reconstruction of
skeletal remains and similar techniques to assist in
the identification of unidentified deceased
children;''.
(F) by striking subparagraphs (L) and (M),
(G) by amending subparagraph (N) to read as follows:
``(N) provide training, technical assistance, and
information to nongovernmental organizations relating
to non-compliant sex offenders and to law enforcement
agencies in identifying and locating such
individuals;'',
(H) by striking subparagraph (P),
(I) by amending subparagraph (Q) to read as follows:
``(Q) work with families, law enforcement agencies,
electronic service providers, electronic payment
service providers, technology companies,
nongovernmental organizations, and others on methods to
reduce the existence and distribution of online images
and videos of sexually exploited children--
``(i) by operating a tipline to provide to
individuals and electronic service providers an
effective means of reporting Internet-related
and other instances of child sexual
exploitation in the areas of--
``(I) possession, manufacture, and
distribution of child pornography;
``(II) online enticement of children
for sexual acts;
``(III) child sex trafficking;
``(IV) sex tourism involving
children;
``(V) extra familial child sexual
molestation;
``(VI) unsolicited obscene material
sent to a child;
``(VII) misleading domain names; and
``(VIII) misleading words or digital
images on the Internet;
and subsequently to make such reports available
to the appropriate law enforcement agency for
its review and potential investigation;
``(ii) by operating a child victim
identification program to assist law
enforcement agencies in identifying victims of
child pornography and other sexual crimes to
support the recovery of children from sexually
exploitative situations; and
``(iii) by utilizing emerging technologies to
provide additional outreach and educational
materials to parents and families;'',
(J) by striking subparagraph (R),
(K) by amending subparagraphs (S) and (T) to read as
follows:
``(S) develop and disseminate programs and
information to families, child-serving professionals,
law enforcement agencies, State and local governments,
nongovernmental organizations, schools, local
educational agencies, child-serving organizations, and
the general public on--
``(i) the prevention of child abduction and
sexual exploitation;
``(ii) Internet safety, including tips for
social media and cyberbullying; and
``(iii) sexting and sextortion; and
``(T) provide technical assistance and training to
local educational agencies, schools, State and local
law enforcement agencies, individuals, and other
nongovernmental organizations that assist with finding
missing and abducted children in identifying and
recovering such children.'', and
(L) by redesignating subparagraphs (H), (I), (J),
(K), (N), (O), (Q), (S), (T), (U), and (V) as
subparagraphs (E) through (O), respectively.
SEC. 5. GRANTS.
Section 405 of the Missing Children's Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5775)
is amended--
(1) in subsection (a)--
(A) in paragraph (7) by striking ``(as defined in
section 403(1)(A))'', and
(B) in paragraph (8)--
(i) by striking ``legal custodians'' and
inserting ``parents'', and
(ii) by striking ``custodians''' and
inserting ``parents''', and
(2) in subsection (b)(1)(A) by striking ``legal custodians''
and inserting ``parents''.
SEC. 6. REPORTING.
The Missing Children's Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5771 et seq.) is
amended--
(1) by redesignating sections 407 and 408 as section 408 and
409, respectively, and
(2) by inserting after section 406 the following:
``SEC. 407. REPORTING.
``(a) Required Reporting.--As a condition of receiving funds under
section 404(b), the grant recipient shall, based solely on reports
received by the grantee and not involving any data collection by the
grantee other than those reports, annually provide to the Administrator
and make available to the general public, as appropriate--
``(1) the number of children nationwide who are reported to
the grantee as missing;
``(2) the number of children nationwide who are reported to
the grantee as victims of non-family abductions;
``(3) the number of children nationwide who are reported to
the grantee as victims of family abductions; and
``(4) the number of missing children recovered nationwide
whose recovery was reported to the grantee.
``(b) Incidence of Attempted Child Abductions.--As a condition of
receiving funds under section 404(b), the grant recipient shall--
``(1) track the incidence of attempted child abductions in
order to identify links and patterns;
``(2) provide such information to law enforcement agencies;
and
``(3) make such information available to the general public,
as appropriate.''.
H.R. 1808, IMPROVING SUPPORT FOR MISSING AND EXPLOITED CHILDREN ACT OF
2017
Purpose
H.R. 1808, the Improving Support for Missing and Exploited
Children Act of 2017, updates the Missing Children's Assistance
Act (MCAA), which coordinates and supports state and local
efforts to recover missing and exploited children. MCAA both
provides guidance on the resources needed to best assist
victims and their families and ensures engaged stakeholders
have the necessary skills needed to prevent, recover, and help
missing, abducted, and exploited children. H.R. 1808 updates
MCAA to ensure it aligns with best practices currently utilized
at the state and local levels.
Committee Action
113TH CONGRESS
Introduction and House Passage of H.R. 3092, E. Clay Shaw, Jr. Missing
Children's Assistance Reauthorization Act of 2013
On September 12, 2013, Rep. Brett Guthrie (R-KY) introduced
H.R. 3092, the E. Clay Shaw, Jr. Missing Children's Assistance
Reauthorization Act of 2013. The bill reauthorized MCAA, under
which the Missing and Exploited Children program is authorized.
On September 17, the U.S. House of Representatives (House)
passed H.R. 3092, and on September 25, it was passed by the
U.S. Senate. On September 30, President Obama signed H.R. 3092
into law.
Subcommittee Hearing on Protecting America's Youth: An Update from the
National Center for Missing and Exploited Children
On July 15, 2014, the Subcommittee on Early Childhood,
Elementary, and Secondary Education (Subcommittee) held a
hearing in Washington, D.C., on ``Protecting America's Youth:
An Update from the National Center for Missing and Exploited
Children.'' The purpose of the hearing was to oversee the
implementation of H.R. 3092. Testifying before the Subcommittee
was Mr. John D. Ryan, President and Chief Executive Officer,
National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC),
Alexandria, Virginia.
115TH CONGRESS
Full Committee Hearing on Honoring Our Commitment to Recover and
Protect Missing and Exploited Children
On March 16, 2017, the Committee on Education and the
Workforce (Committee) held a hearing in Washington, D.C., on
``Honoring Our Commitment to Recover and Protect Missing and
Exploited Children.'' The purpose of the hearing was to learn
about MCAA and NCMEC. Testifying before the Committee was Mr.
John F. Clark, President and Chief Executive Officer, National
Center for Missing and Exploited Children, Alexandria,
Virginia.
Introduction of H.R. 1808, Improving Support for Missing and Exploited
Children Act of 2017
On March 30, 2017, Rep. Brett Guthrie (R-KY) introduced
H.R. 1808. The bill updates MCAA to streamline the grant
activities of the Missing and Exploited Children program to
better align required activities with current services.
Committee Passage of H.R. 1808, Improving Support for Missing and
Exploited Children Act of 2017
On April 4, 2017, the Committee considered H.R. 1808 in
legislative session and reported the bill favorably, as
amended, to the House by voice vote. There was one amendment
offered:
Amendment in the Nature of a Substitute: Rep.
Guthrie offered an amendment in the nature of a substitute. The
amendment (1) made a conforming change to ensure consistency of
terms throughout the bill; and (2) made technical changes.
Vice Chairman Joe Wilson (R-SC) offered a motion to report
the bill as amended. The motion was adopted by voice vote.
Summary of H.R. 1808
Beginning in the late 1970s, many highly publicized cases
of child abduction, sexual abuse, and murder prompted
policymakers and child advocates to focus on the problem of
missing children. Recognizing the need for greater federal
coordination of local and state efforts to recover missing and
exploited children, Congress created the Missing and Exploited
Children program under the MCAA, which directed the U.S.
Department of Justice's Office of Juvenile Justice and
Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) to establish both a toll-free
number to report missing children and provide a grant for a
national resource center for missing and exploited children.
The program also allowed funding to be used for professional
development and technical assistance to public and private
entities to assist in recovering missing children.\1\ MCAA was
most recently reauthorized in 2013.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\Title IV of the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act
of 1974.
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A primary component of the Missing and Exploited Children
program was a grant given to the National Center for Missing
and Exploited Children (NCMEC) to carry out a coordinated,
national response to the problem of missing and exploited
children in partnership with law enforcement, state and local
entities, families, communities, and other stakeholders.\2\
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\2\Programs authorized under other laws that are not in the
Committee's jurisdiction include (1) the Internet Crimes Against
Children Task Force; (2) America's Missing: Broadcast Emergency
Response Alert system, known as AMBER; and (3) other initiatives,
including a membership-based nonprofit missing and exploited children's
organization that assists families of missing children and efforts to
respond to child sexual exploitation through education, known as the
National Alliance of Missing Children's Organizations.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
The grantee has implemented innovative policies,
educational initiatives, and public-private partnerships to
prevent the victimization of children. The following programs
are operated by the center:
24-hour Hotline and CyberTipline. A 24-hour toll-
free hotline is operated through its call center to receive
reports relating to missing children, leads or sightings of
missing children, and requests for assistance, information, and
technical assistance from families of missing children, law
enforcement, and others. The CyberTipline enables electronic
service providers and members of the public to report online
incidents involving possession, manufacturing, and distribution
of child pornography, online sexual exploitation, unsolicited
and inappropriate materials, and misleading information. In all
of these instances, the grantee provides various assistance,
including sending publications or educational materials,
providing technical support about missing children cases, and
providing information about transportation for families needing
assistance with reunification. The grantee also has access to
the FBI's National Crime Information Center's (NCIC) Missing
Person File in order to review records and updates of the
records of missing children added by local and state law
enforcement agencies.
Nationwide Database. The grantee manages a
nationwide database on missing children cases. Each missing
child is entered into the database and assigned a case manager
to serve as the single point of contact for the searching
family. Case management teams work with families and law
enforcement agencies by providing coordinated support and
access to analytical and technological resources.
Technical Assistance. The grantee offers technical
assistance to law enforcement, criminal and juvenile justice
professionals, and healthcare professionals. This includes
resources that teach the skills needed to respond to and
prevent missing and sexually exploited children cases, such as
detection, identification, investigation, prevention, and
forensic imaging. The grantee also provides nationally
accredited professional development for healthcare
professionals, which includes infant security for nursing and
security personnel. The grantee receives technical assistance
support from the U.S. Secret Service in matters involving
missing and exploited children.
Team HOPE. The grantee provides child safety and
prevention resources for families and professionals, as well as
support, crisis-intervention, and technical assistance. The
Help Offering Parents Empowerment (Team HOPE) consists of
volunteers who have had personal experiences with child
disappearance to mentor other parents and families, helping
them cope with the traumatic experience of abduction and sexual
exploitation during and after incidents. Additionally, the
grant recipient provides direct support services to such
victims and families through mental health and child welfare
professionals.
State and Local Engagement. In addition to working
closely with various federal agencies, the grant recipient
works with each state to assist with missing children reports
and tips. Working with their community partners, the grantee
informs the public about ways to keep children safe through
various education programs, such as resources for state
officials and mayors to hold child safety events around the
country. The grantee also works with nonprofit and corporate
partners to create an important network for its programs,
including technology provided from Microsoft, Google, and
Adobe. Businesses, including Walmart, Comcast, USA Today, and
ABC News, help ensure missing children photos and AMBER Alerts
are rapidly disseminated to the public.
While MCAA was last reauthorized in 2013, the program is
set to expire in FY 2018. Given the sensitive nature of this
work and past federal efforts to proactively reauthorize the
program, it is imperative there is no interruption to the
crucial services and assistance provided to victims and their
families. As such, H.R. 1808 updates and streamlines the
activities of the grant to better align required activities
with current practice. This will allow the grantee to continue
providing the support needed for victims and families during
the difficult times they face. Specifically, the legislation
improves current law in the following areas:
Clarifies existing structures to align with current practice
H.R. 1808 updates the findings of Congress to
reflect the awareness that a growing number of children are
victims of child sex trafficking and sextortion. To better
serve victims and families, the grantee has developed resources
to address growing areas of concern where children are highly
susceptible to malicious intent.
Updates requirements to better serve victims and families
H.R. 1808 requires the grantee to provide
information on innovative and model programs, services, and
legislation that benefit missing and exploited children. This
information, in combination with other assistance information
relating to free or low-cost legal, food, lodging, and
transportation services, serves as critical support for missing
and exploited children and their families.
Protects children missing from state care and victims of sex
trafficking
To better align MCAA with current practice to
combat emerging trends in sex trafficking, H.R. 1808 clarifies
the work the grantee does to help prevent child sex
trafficking. Specifically, the grantee will provide technical
assistance and education to families, law enforcement agencies,
state and local governments, non-government agencies, schools,
and the general public on how to proactively respond to
children missing from state child welfare systems and victims
or those at-risk of being victims of child sex trafficking. By
updating this provision to address emerging trends, H.R. 1808
ensures entities and individuals are best prepared to help
victims and families.
Provides assistance in identifying and locating abductors and missing
children
H.R. 1808 clarifies requirements to provide
support and technical assistance to entities and individuals
working to recover missing, abducted, or exploited children. In
addition, H.R. 1808 continues the requirement to provide
assistance and support relating to forensic information on
victims to law enforcement entities, other individuals involved
in child abduction and exploitation cases, and families, which
might include facial reconstruction of skeletal remains and
similar techniques to assist in the identification of
unidentified deceased children. Through support and assistance
from the grantee, the families and entities working to recover
missing, exploited, and abducted children will be able to use
reliable data and resources to locate and identify victims.
Addresses emerging trends in technology relating to abuse
Given the prevalent use of, and easy access to,
technology in children's daily lives, H.R. 1808 updates
requirements that relate to working with families, law
enforcement, technology companies, and other entities and
individuals on methods to combat and reduce the existence and
distribution of online images and videos associated with
sexually exploited children. The bill also maintains the
requirement to develop and disseminate programs and information
to families, law enforcement, schools, child and youth-serving
organizations, and other related entities about the prevention
of child abduction and sexual exploitation and about internet
safety, including tips for social media and cyberbullying,
sexting, and sextortion. These requirements ensure the best
possible services and preemptive measures are taken to prevent
youth from becoming victims, as well as help those who have
already been victimized.
Updates reporting requirements to provide additional transparency
H.R. 1808 extends reporting requirements under the
grant to include making reports to OJJDP publicly available as
appropriate. This includes information relating to the number
of children nationwide who are reported to the grantee as
missing; the number of victims of non-family abductions; the
number of victims of family abductions; and the number of
children recovered nationwide when the recovery was reported to
the grantee. Additionally, the grantee follows the incidence of
attempted child abductions in order to identify links and
patterns, providing such information to law enforcement
agencies as well as the general public, as appropriate. This
information improves the needed services and preemptive
measures to help victims, those at-risk of becoming victims,
and their families.
Committee Views
Introduction
Protecting our children has long been a national priority,
and children deserve to live without fear of being abused,
sexually exploited or taken from their families. Unfortunately,
statistics show that many children remain at-risk. Last year
alone, there were more than 465,000 reports of missing
children, which is why the Missing and Exploited Children
program continues to play a critical role in protecting
children and provides vital support for communities across the
country.
H.R. 1808 helps the Missing and Exploited Children program
continue to provide crucial services to ensure children who are
missing, abducted, or victims of sexual exploitation and their
families receive needed support without disruption.
Combatting growing trends in crimes committed against children and
youth
Since its creation, the Missing and Exploited Children
program has supported the efforts of state and local
governments, families, schools, law enforcement, community
leaders, and nonprofit organizations to help children and at-
risk youth in desperate need of protection.
As the use of technology becomes even more prevalent, the
threat to children encountering individuals with malicious
intent also increases, which is why H.R. 1808 maintains
specific requirements to engage key stakeholders, such as
families, schools, child and youth-serving entities, and law
enforcement in prevention activities. Specifically, the grantee
uses education to help children and families understand the
parameters needed to navigate and use the internet safely. Some
of these educational initiatives include the NetSmartz Workshop
and NetSmartz411, which help parents and other adults
interacting with children to have conversations about safe
online behavior.
In addition to education, the grant program supports
opportunities for the public and service providers to report
potential online exploitation of children and youth through the
CyberTipline. In 2016, the CyberTipline received more than 8.3
million reports of child sexual exploitation, including many
cases that occur via the internet. As part of that important
work, the Child Victim Identification Program has reviewed more
than 200 million images and videos. By targeting the source and
gathering critical information in these incidents, law
enforcement has been able to identify over 12,600 child victims
of exploitation, which helps lead to rescues of these children.
Additionally, in recent years, an increasing number of
children have become victims of sex trafficking and sextortion.
In 2016, the grantee assisted with approximately 9,000 reports
related to possible child sex trafficking--only a fraction of
the actual count of sex trafficking victims nationwide.
Specifically, 86 percent of the reported cases were in the care
of social services or foster care when they went missing. To
bring awareness to this issue, H.R. 1808 updates the findings
of the MCAA to reflect the growing number of children in foster
care falling victim to these crimes. Raising awareness about
the growing number of children missing from state child welfare
systems will ensure the law aligns with the work needed to
prevent more children from becoming victims.
H.R. 1808 also reinforces the crucial work of providing
recovery assistance for these victims, including technical
assistance and education for families, law enforcement
agencies, state and local governments, non-governmental
agencies, schools, and the general public on how to respond to,
and curb, the growing number of victims being forced or lured
into sex trafficking. For example, the grantee operates a Child
Sex Trafficking Team, which performs the following activities:
Reviewing CyberTipline reports related to
child sex trafficking;
Assisting with cases of missing children
involved in, or at risk of, trafficking; and
Providing technical assistance and education
to help with the identification, location, and recovery
of victims of child sex trafficking.
H.R. 1808 ensures the continuation efforts to prevent youth
from becoming victims and to help those who are victims.
Supporting victims and families
H.R. 1808 continues support for states, public and private
nonprofits, schools, local governments, and individuals to help
them serve victims and families as they work through the
process of recovery. Specifically, these resources and
assistance provide the following services:
Immediate crisis intervention when a family
needs help with a missing, exploited, or recovered
child;
Support for survivors of abduction and
exploitation, including helping them to connect with
other victims;
Emotional support for endangered runaways,
parents, guardians, and families;
Referrals to appropriate agencies and mental
health professionals;
Reunification assistance and support for
siblings of victims; and
Assistance locating organizations to help
sexually exploited youth.
H.R. 1808 also requires the grantee share best practices as
well as model programs, services, and legislation to help
victims and their families find the assistance needed to aid in
healing and recovery.
Providing crucial technical support and forensic assistance
H.R. 1808 clarifies requirements to provide technical
support and assistance to entities and individuals working to
recover missing, abducted, or exploited children. In order to
prevent child victimization, H.R. 1808 maintains grant
requirements to assist entities and individuals in locating and
identifying abductors, offenders, and those at-risk of being
victims. Additionally, the bill allows for the continuation of
current work related to forensic information, including the
Advanced Forensic Imaging Workshop, a 40-hour course designed
to teach forensic artists advanced methods and techniques in
clay sculpture for facial reconstructions. By supporting this
work, H.R. 1808 ensures those involved in recovering missing
children and preventing exploitation have the necessary tools
for their important work.
Emphasizing transparency
In order to bolster transparency and raise awareness, H.R.
1808 extends the law's reporting requirements to include making
reports publicly available as appropriate, including
information regarding the number of children nationwide
reported as missing; victims of non-family abductions; victims
of family abductions; and victims whose recovery is reported to
the grantee.
Additionally, in order to combat potential abductions of
children and youth, H.R. 1808 maintains the requirement that
attempted child abductions be tracked in order to identify
links and patterns and that such information be provided to law
enforcement agencies as well as the general public, as
appropriate.
Conclusion
Over the years, Congress has worked to ensure the Missing
and Exploited Children program accurately reflects the work
needed to prevent the exploitation of children and support the
recovery of missing children, families, and communities. As
President Ronald Reagan said when the program was established
in 1984, ``No single sector of our nation can solve the problem
of missing and exploited children alone. But by working
together, pooling our resources, and building on our strengths,
we can accomplish great things.''
Section-by-Section
The following is a section-by-section analysis of the
Amendment in the Nature of a Substitute offered by Rep. Guthrie
and reported favorably by the Committee.
Section 1. Short title
Lists the short title of the Act as the ``Improving Support
for Missing and Exploited Children Act of 2017.''
Section 2. Findings
Updates the findings of the Act to include sex trafficking
and sextortion as growing crimes committed against children.
Section 3. Duties and functions of the Administrator
Updates and clarifies the grant requirements to include
providing technical assistance, professional development, and
support to appropriate personnel and entities to do the
following:
Help prevent, properly address and handle,
assist, and respond to cases relating to missing and
abducted children, especially those missing from the
state child welfare systems;
Recover children through information gained
from public records;
Use direct on-site and forensic technical
assistance and consultation to identify deceased
children;
Locate non-compliant sex offenders;
Reduce the existence and distribution on the
internet of images of sexually exploited children;
Help provide education on safe practices for
the use of technology, including cellular devices,
internet usage, and preventing cyberbullying; and
Help in other areas where needed and
appropriate.
Section 4. Reporting
Moves existing reporting requirements to a new section of
the law. The grantee, based solely on information derived from
reports received by the grantee, reports on the number of
children nationwide who are reported to the grantee as missing;
victims of non-family abductions; victims of family abductions;
and recovered nationwide.
Includes the existing reporting requirement that the
grantee track the incidence of attempted child abductions in
order to identify links and patterns, and to provide that
information to law enforcement agencies and the general public,
as appropriate.
Explanation of Amendments
The amendments, including the amendment in the nature of a
substitute, are explained in the body of this report.
Application of Law to the Legislative Branch
Section 102(b)(3) of Public Law 104-1 requires a
description of the application of this bill to the legislative
branch. H.R. 1808 updates the Missing Children's Assistance
Act, which coordinates and supports state and local efforts to
recover missing and exploited children.
Unfunded Mandate Statement
Section 423 of the Congressional Budget and Impoundment
Control Act (as amended by Section 101(a)(2) of the Unfunded
Mandates Reform Act, P.L. 104-4) requires a statement of
whether the provisions of the reported bill include unfunded
mandates. This issue is addressed in the CBO letter.
Earmark Statement
H.R. 1808 does not contain any congressional earmarks,
limited tax benefits, or limited tariff benefits as defined in
clause 9 of House Rule XXI.
Roll Call Votes
Clause 3(b) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of
Representatives requires the Committee Report to include for
each record vote on a motion to report the measure or matter
and on any amendments offered to the measure or matter the
total number of votes for and against and the names of the
Members voting for and against. No roll call votes were taken
for H.R. 1808.
Statement of General Performance Goals and Objectives
In accordance with clause (3)(c) of House Rule XIII, the
goal of H.R. 1808 support state and local efforts to recover
missing and exploited children.
Duplication of Federal Programs
No provision of H.R. 1808 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 enacting H.R. 1808 does not
specifically direct the completion of any specific rule makings
within the meaning of 5 U.S.C. 551.
Statement of Oversight Findings and Recommendations of the Committee
In compliance with clause 3(c)(1) of rule XIII and clause
2(b)(1) of rule X of the Rules of the House of Representatives,
the committee's oversight findings and recommendations are
reflected in the body of this report.
New Budget Authority and CBO Cost Estimate
With respect to the requirements of clause 3(c)(2) of rule
XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives and section
308(a) of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 and with respect
to requirements of clause 3(c)(3) of rule XIII of the Rules of
the House of Representatives and section 402 of the
Congressional Budget Act of 1974, the committee has received
the following estimate for H.R. 1808 from the Director of the
Congressional Budget Office:
U.S. Congress,
Congressional Budget Office,
Washington, DC, April 19, 2017.
Hon. Virginia Foxx,
Chairwoman, Committee on Education and the Workforce,
House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
Dear Madam Chairwoman: The Congressional Budget Office has
prepared the enclosed cost estimate for H.R. 1808, the
Improving Support for Missing and Exploited Children Act of
2017.
If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be
pleased to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Mark
Grabowicz.
Sincerely,
Mark P. Hadley
(For Keith Hall, Director).
Enclosure.
H.R. 1808--Improving Support for Missing and Exploited Children Act of
2017
The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children
(NCMEC) is a nonprofit organization funded mostly by the
Department of Justice. H.R. 1808 would make several changes to
the laws that govern the use of funds provided to NCMEC. Most
of the changes would aim to streamline and reorganize how those
funds are used and CBO estimates that implementing the bill
would have no significant cost to the federal government.
Enacting the legislation would not affect direct spending
or revenues; therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures do not apply.
CBO estimates that enacting H.R. 1808 would not increase net
direct spending or on-budget deficits in any of the four
consecutive 10-year periods beginning in 2028.
H.R. 1808 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 H. Samuel Papenfuss, Deputy
Assistant Director for Budget Analysis.
Committee Cost Estimate
Clause 3(d)(1) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of
Representatives requires an estimate and a comparison of the
costs that would be incurred in carrying out H.R. 1808.
However, clause 3(d)(2)(B) of that rule provides that this
requirement does not apply when the committee has included in
its report a timely submitted cost estimate of the bill
prepared by the Director of the Congressional Budget Office
under section 402 of the Congressional Budget Act.
Changes in Existing Law Made by the Bill, as Reported
In compliance with clause 3(e) of rule XIII of the Rules of
the House of Representatives, changes in existing law made by
the bill, as reported, are shown as follows (new matter is
printed in italic and existing law in which no change is
proposed is shown in roman):
Changes in Existing Law Made by the Bill, as Reported
In compliance with clause 3(e) of rule XIII of the Rules of
the House of Representatives, changes in existing law made by
the bill, as reported, are shown as follows (existing law
proposed to be omitted is enclosed in black brackets, new
matter is printed in italic, and existing law in which no
change is proposed is shown in roman):
MISSING CHILDREN'S ASSISTANCE ACT
* * * * * * *
TITLE IV--MISSING CHILDREN
* * * * * * *
SEC. 402. FINDINGS.
The Congress finds that--
[(1) each year thousands of children are abducted or
removed from the control of a parent having legal
custody without such parent's consent, under
circumstances which immediately place the child in
grave danger;]
(1) each year tens of thousands of children run away,
or are abducted or removed, from the control of a
parent having legal custody without such parent's
consent, under circumstances which immediately place
the child in grave danger;
(2) many missing children are at great risk of both
physical harm and sexual exploitation;
(3) many missing children are runaways;
[(4) in many cases, parents and local law enforcement
officials have neither the resources nor the expertise
to mount expanded search efforts;
[(5) abducted children are frequently moved from one
locality to another, requiring the cooperation and
coordination of local, State, and Federal law
enforcement efforts;]
[(6)] (4) growing numbers of children are the victims
of child sexual exploitation, including child sex
trafficking and sextortion, increasingly involving the
use of new technology to access the Internet;
[(7)] (5) children may be separated from their
parents or legal guardians as a result of national
disasters such as hurricanes and floods;
[(8)] (6) sex offenders pose a threat to children;
and
[(9) the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency
Prevention administers programs under this Act through
the Child Protection Division, including programs which
prevent or address offenses committed against
vulnerable children and which support missing
children's organizations; and
[(10) a key component of such programs is the
National Center for Missing and Exploited Children,
which--
[(A) serves as a national resource center and
clearinghouse;
[(B) works in partnership with the Department
of Justice, the Federal Bureau of
Investigation, the United States Marshals
Service, the Department of the Treasury, the
Department of State, the Bureau of Immigration
and Customs Enforcement, the United States
Secret Service, the United States Postal
Inspection Service, and many other agencies in
the effort to find missing children and prevent
child victimization; and
[(C) operates a national network, linking the
Center online with each of the missing children
clearinghouses operated by the 50 States, the
District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico, as well
as with international organizations, including
Scotland Yard in the United Kingdom, the Royal
Canadian Mounted Police, INTERPOL headquarters
in Lyon, France, and others, which enable the
Center to transmit images and information
regarding missing and exploited children to law
enforcement across the United States and around
the world instantly.]
(7) a key component of such programs is the National
Center for Missing and Exploited Children that--
(A) serves as a nonprofit, national resource
center and clearinghouse to provide assistance
to victims, families, child-serving
professionals, and the general public;
(B) works with the Department of Justice, the
Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United
States Marshals Service, the Department of the
Treasury, the Department of State, the United
States Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the
United States Secret Service, the United States
Postal Inspection Service, other agencies, and
nongovernmental organizations in the effort to
find missing children and to prevent child
victimization; and
(C) coordinates with each of the missing
children clearinghouses operated by the 50
States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico,
and international organizations to transmit
images and information regarding missing and
exploited children to law enforcement,
nongovernmental organizations, and corporate
partners across the United States and around
the world instantly.
definitions
Sec. 403. For the purpose of this title--
(1) the term ``missing child'' means any individual
less than 18 years of age whose whereabouts are unknown
to such individual's [legal custodian] parent if--
(A) the circumstances surrounding such
individual's disappearance indicate that such
individual may possibly have been removed by
another from the control of such individual's
[legal custodian] parent without such
[custodian's] parent's consent;
(B) the circumstances of the case strongly
indicate that such individual is likely to be
abused or sexually exploited; or
(C) the individual is an individual under 21
years of age who is displaced from the habitual
residence of that individual as a result of an
emergency or major disaster (as those terms are
defined in section 102 of the Robert T.
Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency
Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5122))[.];
(2) the term ``Administrator'' means the
Administrator of the Office of Juvenile Justice and
Delinquency Prevention; [and]
(3) the term ``Center'' means the National Center for
Missing and Exploited Children[.]; and
(4) the term ``parent'' includes a legal guardian or
other individual standing in loco parentis (such as a
grandparent or stepparent with whom the child lives, or
an individual who is legally responsible for the
child's welfare).
duties and functions of the administrator
Sec. 404. (a) The Administrator shall--
(1) issue such rules as the Administrator considers
necessary or appropriate to carry out this title;
(2) make such arrangements as may be necessary and
appropriate to facilitate effective coordination among
all federally funded programs relating to missing
children (including the preparation of an annual
comprehensive plan for facilitating such coordination);
(3) provide for the furnishing of information derived
from the national toll-free [telephone line] hotline,
established under subsection (b)(1), to appropriate
entities;
(4) coordinate with the United States Interagency
Council on Homelessness to ensure that homeless
services professionals are aware of educational
resources and assistance provided by the Center
regarding child sexual exploitation;
(5) provide adequate staff and agency resources which
are necessary to properly carry out the
responsibilities pursuant to this title; and
(6) not later than 180 days after the end of each
fiscal year, submit a report to the President, Speaker
of the House of Representatives, the Committee on
Education and the Workforce of the House of
Representatives, the President pro tempore of the
Senate, and the Committee on the Judiciary of the
Senate--
(A) containing a comprehensive plan for
facilitating cooperation and coordination in
the succeeding fiscal year among all agencies
and organizations with responsibilities related
to missing children;
(B) identifying and summarizing effective
models of Federal, State, and local
coordination and cooperation in locating and
recovering missing children;
(C) identifying and summarizing effective
program models that provide treatment,
counseling, or other aid to parents of missing
children or to children who have been the
victims of abduction;
(D) describing how the Administrator
satisfied the requirements of paragraph (4) in
the preceding fiscal year;
(E) describing in detail the number types of
telephone calls received in the preceding
fiscal year over the national toll-free
[telephone line] hotline established under
subsection [(b)(1)(A) and] (b)(1)(A), the
number and types of communications referred to
the national communications system established
under section 331, and the number and types of
reports to the tipline established under
subsection (b)(1)(K)(i);
(F) describing in detail the activities in
the preceding fiscal year of the national
resource center and clearinghouse established
under subsection (b)(2);
(G) describing all the programs for which
assistance was provided under section 405 in
the preceding fiscal year;
(H) summarizing the results of all research
completed in the preceding year for which
assistance was provided at any time under this
title; and
(I)(i) identifying each clearinghouse with
respect to which assistance is provided under
section 405(a)(9) in the preceding fiscal year;
(ii) describing the activities carried out by
such clearinghouse in such fiscal year;
(iii) specifying the types and amounts of
assistance (other than assistance under section
405(a)(9)) received by such clearinghouse in
such fiscal year; and
(iv) specifying the number and types of
missing children cases handled (and the number
of such cases resolved) by such clearinghouse
in such fiscal year and summarizing the
circumstances of each such cases.
(b) Annual Grant to National Center for Missing and Exploited
Children.--
(1) In general.--The Administrator shall annually
make a grant to the Center, which shall be used to--
(A)(i) operate a national 24-hour toll-free
[telephone line] hotline by which individuals
may report information regarding the location
of any missing child, and request information
pertaining to procedures necessary to reunite
such child with such child's [legal custodian]
parent; and
(ii) coordinate the operation of such
[telephone line] hotline with the operation of
the national communications system referred to
in part C of the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act
(42 U.S.C. 5714-11);
(B) operate the official national resource
center and information clearinghouse for
missing and exploited children;
(C) provide to State and local governments,
public and private nonprofit agencies, State
and local educational agencies, and
individuals, information regarding--
(i) free or low-cost legal,
[restaurant] food, lodging, and
transportation services that are
available for the benefit of missing
and exploited children and their
families; [and]
(ii) the existence and nature of
programs being carried out by Federal
agencies to assist missing and
exploited children and their families;
and
(iii) innovative and model programs,
services, and legislation that benefit
missing and exploited children;
(D) coordinate public and private programs
that locate, recover, or reunite missing
children with their families;
[(E) disseminate, on a national basis,
information relating to innovative and model
programs, services, and legislation that
benefit missing and exploited children;
[(F) based solely on reports received by the
National Center for Missing and Exploited
Children (NCMEC), and not involving any data
collection by NCMEC other than the receipt of
those reports, annually provide to the
Department of Justice's Office of Juvenile
Justice and Delinquency Prevention--
[(i) the number of children
nationwide who are reported to NCMEC as
missing;
[(ii) the number of children
nationwide who are reported to NCMEC as
victims of non-family abductions;
[(iii) the number of children
nationwide who are reported to NCMEC as
victims of parental kidnappings; and
[(iv) the number of children
recovered nationwide whose recovery was
reported to NCMEC;
[(G) provide, at the request of State and
local governments, and public and private
nonprofit agencies, guidance on how to
facilitate the lawful use of school records and
birth certificates to identify and locate
missing children;
[(H) provide technical assistance and
training to law enforcement agencies, State and
local governments, elements of the criminal
justice system, public and private nonprofit
agencies, and individuals in the prevention,
investigation, prosecution, and treatment of
cases involving missing and exploited children;
[(I) provide assistance to families and law
enforcement agencies in locating and recovering
missing and exploited children, both nationally
and, in cooperation with the Department of
State, internationally;
[(J) provide analytical support and technical
assistance to law enforcement agencies through
searching public records databases in locating
and recovering missing and exploited children
and helping to locate and identify abductors;
[(K) provide direct on-site technical
assistance and consultation to law enforcement
agencies in child abduction and exploitation
cases;
[(L) provide forensic technical assistance
and consultation to law enforcement and other
agencies in the identification of unidentified
deceased children through facial reconstruction
of skeletal remains and similar techniques;
[(M) track the incidence of attempted child
abductions in order to identify links and
patterns, and provide such information to law
enforcement agencies;
[(N) provide training and assistance to law
enforcement agencies in identifying and
locating non-compliant sex offenders;]
(E) provide technical assistance and training
to families, law enforcement agencies, State
and local governments, elements of the criminal
justice system, nongovernmental agencies, local
educational agencies, and the general public--
(i) in the prevention, investigation,
prosecution, and treatment of cases
involving missing and exploited
children;
(ii) to respond to foster children
missing from the State child welfare
system in coordination with child
welfare agencies and courts handling
juvenile justice and dependency
matters; and
(iii) in the identification,
location, and recovery of victims of,
and children at risk for, child sex
trafficking;
(F) provide assistance to families, law
enforcement agencies, State and local
governments, nongovernmental agencies, child-
serving professionals, and other individuals
involved in the location and recovery of
missing and abducted children, both nationally,
and in cooperation with the Department of
State, internationally;
(G) provide support and technical assistance
to child-serving professionals involved in
helping to recover missing and exploited
children by searching public records databases
to help in the identification, location, and
recovery of such children, and help in the
location and identification of potential
abductors and offenders;
(H) provide forensic and direct on-site
technical assistance and consultation to
families, law enforcement agencies, child-
serving professionals, and nongovernmental
organizations in child abduction and
exploitation cases, including facial
reconstruction of skeletal remains and similar
techniques to assist in the identification of
unidentified deceased children;
(I) provide training, technical assistance,
and information to nongovernmental
organizations relating to non-compliant sex
offenders and to law enforcement agencies in
identifying and locating such individuals;
[(O)] (J) facilitate the deployment of the
National Emergency Child Locator Center to
assist in reuniting missing children with their
families during periods of national disasters;
[(P) operate a cyber tipline to provide
online users and electronic service providers
an effective means of reporting Internet-
related child sexual exploitation in the areas
of--
[(i) possession, manufacture, and
distribution of child pornography;
[(ii) online enticement of children
for sexual acts;
[(iii) child sex trafficking,
including child prostitution;
[(iv) sex tourism involving children;
[(v) extrafamilial child sexual
molestation;
[(vi) unsolicited obscene material
sent to a child;
[(vii) misleading domain names; and
[(viii) misleading words or digital
images on the Internet,
and subsequently to transmit such reports,
including relevant images and information, to
the appropriate international, Federal, State
or local law enforcement agency for
investigation;
[(Q) work with law enforcement, Internet
service providers, electronic payment service
providers, and others on methods to reduce the
distribution on the Internet of images and
videos of sexually exploited children;
[(R) operate a child victim identification
program in order to assist the efforts of law
enforcement agencies in identifying victims of
child pornography and other sexual crimes;
[(S) develop and disseminate programs and
information to the general public, schools,
public officials, youth-serving organizations,
and nonprofit organizations, directly or
through grants or contracts with public
agencies and public and private nonprofit
organizations, on--
[(i) the prevention of child
abduction and sexual exploitation; and
[(ii) internet safety;
[(T) provide technical assistance and
training to State and local law enforcement
agencies and statewide clearinghouses to
coordinate with State and local educational
agencies in identifying and recovering missing
children;]
(K) work with families, law enforcement
agencies, electronic service providers,
electronic payment service providers,
technology companies, nongovernmental
organizations, and others on methods to reduce
the existence and distribution of online images
and videos of sexually exploited children--
(i) by operating a tipline to provide
to individuals and electronic service
providers an effective means of
reporting Internet-related and other
instances of child sexual exploitation
in the areas of--
(I) possession, manufacture,
and distribution of child
pornography;
(II) online enticement of
children for sexual acts;
(III) child sex trafficking;
(IV) sex tourism involving
children;
(V) extra familial child
sexual molestation;
(VI) unsolicited obscene
material sent to a child;
(VII) misleading domain
names; and
(VIII) misleading words or
digital images on the Internet;
and subsequently to make such reports
available to the appropriate law
enforcement agency for its review and
potential investigation;
(ii) by operating a child victim
identification program to assist law
enforcement agencies in identifying
victims of child pornography and other
sexual crimes to support the recovery
of children from sexually exploitative
situations; and
(iii) by utilizing emerging
technologies to provide additional
outreach and educational materials to
parents and families;
(L) develop and disseminate programs and
information to families, child-serving
professionals, law enforcement agencies, State
and local governments, nongovernmental
organizations, schools, local educational
agencies, child-serving organizations, and the
general public on--
(i) the prevention of child abduction
and sexual exploitation;
(ii) Internet safety, including tips
for social media and cyberbullying; and
(iii) sexting and sextortion; and
(M) provide technical assistance and training
to local educational agencies, schools, State
and local law enforcement agencies,
individuals, and other nongovernmental
organizations that assist with finding missing
and abducted children in identifying and
recovering such children.
[(U)] (N) assist the efforts of law
enforcement agencies in coordinating with child
welfare agencies to respond to foster children
missing from the State welfare system; and
[(V)] (O) provide technical assistance to law
enforcement agencies and first responders in
identifying, locating, and recovering victims
of, and children at risk for, child sex
trafficking.
(2) Limitation.--
(A) In general.--Notwithstanding any other
provision of law, no Federal funds may be used
to pay the compensation of an individual
employed by the Center if such compensation, as
determined at the beginning of each grant year,
exceeds 110 percent of the maximum annual
salary payable to a member of the Federal
Government's Senior Executive Service (SES) for
that year. The Center may compensate an
employee at a higher rate provided the amount
in excess of this limitation is paid with non-
Federal funds.
(B) Definition of compensation.--For the
purpose of this paragraph, the term
``compensation''--
(i) includes salary, bonuses,
periodic payments, severance pay, the
value of a compensatory or paid leave
benefit not excluded by clause (ii),
and the fair market value of any
employee perquisite or benefit not
excluded by clause (ii); and
(ii) excludes any Center expenditure
for health, medical, or life insurance,
or disability or retirement pay,
including pensions benefits.
(c) National Incidence Studies.--The Administrator, either by
making grants to or entering into contracts with public
agencies or nonprofit private agencies, shall--
(1) triennially conduct national incidence studies to
determine for a given year the actual number of
children reported missing each year, the number of
children who are victims of abduction by strangers, the
number of children who are the victims of parental
kidnappings, and the number of children who are
recovered each year; and
(2) provide to State and local governments, public
and private nonprofit agencies, and individuals
information to facilitate the lawful use of school
records and birth certificates, in compliance with the
Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (20
U.S.C. 1232g) to identify and locate missing children.
(d) Nothing contained in this title shall be construed to
grant to the Administrator any law enforcement responsibility
or supervisory authority over any other Federal agency.
grants
Sec. 405. (a) The Administrator is authorized to make grants
to and enter into contracts with the Center and with public
agencies or nonprofit private organizations, or combinations
thereof, for research, demonstration projects, or service
programs designed--
(1) to educate parents, children, schools, school
leaders, teachers, State and local educational
agencies, homeless shelters and service providers, and
community agencies and organizations in ways to prevent
the abduction and sexual exploitation of children;
(2) to provide information to assist in the locating
and return of missing children;
(3) to aid communities and schools in the collection
of materials which would be useful to parents in
assisting others in the identification of missing
children;
(4) to increase knowledge of and develop effective
treatment pertaining to the psychological consequences,
on both parents and children, of--
(A) the abduction of a child, both during the
period of disappearance and after the child is
recovered; and
(B) the sexual exploitation of a missing
child;
(5) to collect detailed data from selected States or
localities on the actual investigative practices
utilized by law enforcement agencies in missing
children's cases;
(6) to address the particular needs of missing
children by minimizing the negative impact of judicial
and law enforcement procedures on children who are
victims of abuse or sexual exploitation and by
promoting the active participation of children and
their families in cases involving abuse or sexual
exploitation of children;
(7) to address the needs of missing children [(as
defined in section 403(1)(A))] and their families
following the recovery of such children;
(8) to reduce the likelihood that individuals under
18 years of age will be removed from the control of
such individuals' [legal custodians] parents without
such [custodians'] parents' consent; and
(9) to establish or operate statewide clearinghouses
to assist in locating and recovering missing children.
(b) In considering grant applications under this title, the
Administrator shall give priority to applicants who--
(1) have demonstrated or demonstrate ability in--
(A) locating missing children or locating and
reuniting missing children with their [legal
custodians] parents;
(B) providing other services to missing
children or their families; or
(C) conducting research relating to missing
children; and
(2) with respect to subparagraphs (A) and (B) of
paragraph (1), substantially utilize volunteer
assistance.
The Administrator shall give first priority to applicants
qualifying under subparagraphs (A) and (B) of paragraph (1).
(c) In order to receive assistance under this title for a
fiscal year, applicants shall give assurance that they will
expend, to the greatest extent practicable, for such fiscal
year an amount of funds (without regard to any funds received
under any Federal law) that is not less than the amount of
funds they received in the preceding fiscal year from State,
local, and private sources.
* * * * * * *
SEC. 407. REPORTING.
(a) Required Reporting.--As a condition of receiving funds
under section 404(b), the grant recipient shall, based solely
on reports received by the grantee and not involving any data
collection by the grantee other than those reports, annually
provide to the Administrator and make available to the general
public, as appropriate--
(1) the number of children nationwide who are
reported to the grantee as missing;
(2) the number of children nationwide who are
reported to the grantee as victims of non-family
abductions;
(3) the number of children nationwide who are
reported to the grantee as victims of family
abductions; and
(4) the number of missing children recovered
nationwide whose recovery was reported to the grantee.
(b) Incidence of Attempted Child Abductions.--As a condition
of receiving funds under section 404(b), the grant recipient
shall--
(1) track the incidence of attempted child abductions
in order to identify links and patterns;
(2) provide such information to law enforcement
agencies; and
(3) make such information available to the general
public, as appropriate.
SEC. [407.] 408. OVERSIGHT AND ACCOUNTABILITY.
All grants awarded by the Department of Justice that are
authorized under this title shall be subject to the following:
authorization of appropriations
Sec. [408.] 409. (a) In General.--To carry out the
provisions of this title, there are authorized to be
appropriated $40,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2014
through 2018, up to $32,200,000 of which shall be used to carry
out section 404(b) for each such fiscal year.
(b) Evaluation.--The Administrator may use not more than 5
percent of the amount appropriated for a fiscal year under
subsection (a) to conduct an evaluation of the effectiveness of
the programs and activities established and operated under this
title.
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