[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 60 (Tuesday, April 9, 2024)]
[House]
[Pages H2229-H2232]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
MISSING CHILDREN'S ASSISTANCE REAUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2023
Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill
(S. 2051) to reauthorize the Missing Children's Assistance Act, and for
other purposes, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
S. 2051
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Missing Children's
Assistance Reauthorization Act of 2023''.
SEC. 2. MISSING CHILDREN'S ASSISTANCE ACT AMENDMENTS.
(a) Definitions.--Section 403 of the Missing Children's
Assistance Act (34 U.S.C. 11292) is amended--
(1) in paragraph (3), by striking ``and'' at the end;
(2) in paragraph (4), by striking the period at the end and
inserting ``; and'', and
(3) by adding at the end the following:
``(5) the term `child sexual abuse material' has the
meaning given the term `child pornography' in section 2256 of
title 18, United States Code;''.
(b) Duties and Functions of the Administrator.--Section 404
of the Missing Children's Assistance Act (34 U.S.C. 11293) is
amended--
(1) in subsection (a)(6)(E), by striking ``the tipline
established'' and inserting ``the CyberTipline established'';
and
(2) in subsection (b)(1)--
(A) in subparagraph (A)--
(i) in clause (i)--
(I) by striking ``hotline by which'' and inserting ``call
center to which''; and
(II) by striking ``individuals may report'' and all that
follows and inserting ``individuals may--
``(I) report child sexual exploitation and the location of
any missing child; and
``(II) request information pertaining to procedures
necessary to reunite such child with such child's parent;'';
(ii) by redesignating clause (ii) as clause (iii); and
(iii) by inserting after clause (i) the following:
``(ii) manage the AMBER Alert Secondary Distribution
Program; and'';
(B) in subparagraph (D), by striking ``with their
families'' and inserting ``with their parents'';
(C) in subparagraph (F), by striking ``to families'' and
inserting ``to parents'';
(D) by striking subparagraph (G) and inserting the
following:
``(G) provide technical assistance and case-related
resources, including--
``(i) referrals to--
``(I) child-serving professionals involved in helping to
recover missing and exploited children; and
``(II) law enforcement officers in their efforts to
identify, locate, and recover missing and exploited children;
and
``(ii) searching public records databases and publicly
accessible open source data to--
``(I) locate and identify potential abductors and offenders
involved in attempted or actual abductions; and
``(II) identify, locate, and recover abducted children;'';
(E) in subparagraph (H), by inserting ``on long-term
missing child cases'' after ``techniques to assist'';
(F) by striking subparagraph (I) and inserting the
following:
[[Page H2230]]
``(I) provide education, technical assistance, and
information to--
``(i) nongovernmental organizations with respect to
procedures and resources to conduct background checks on
individuals working with children; and
``(ii) law enforcement agencies with respect to identifying
and locating noncompliant sex offenders;'';
(G) in subparagraph (J), by striking ``with their
families'' and inserting ``with their parents'';
(H) in subparagraph (K)--
(i) in clause (i)--
(I) in the matter preceding subclause (I), by striking
``tipline'' and inserting ``CyberTipline'';
(II) in subclause (I)--
(aa) in item (aa), by striking ``child pornography'' and
inserting ``child sexual abuse material'';
(bb) in item (dd) by striking ``sex tourism involving
children'' and inserting ``extraterritorial child sexual
abuse and exploitation''; and
(cc) in item (ee), by striking ``extra-familial''; and
(III) in subclause (II)--
(aa) by striking ``tipline'' and inserting
``CyberTipline''; and
(bb) by adding ``and'' at the end;
(ii) in clause (ii)--
(I) by striking ``child pornography'' and inserting ``child
sexual abuse material'';
(II) by inserting ``and'' after ``other sexual crimes'';
and
(III) by striking ``; and'' at the end and inserting ``,
including by providing information on legal remedies
available to such victims;''; and
(iii) by striking clause (iii);
(I) by redesignating subparagraphs (L) through (O) as
subparagraphs (M) through (P), respectively;
(J) by inserting after subparagraph (K) the following:
``(L) provide support services, consultation, and
assistance to missing and sexually exploited children,
parents, their families, and child-serving professionals on--
``(i) recovery support, including counseling
recommendations and community support;
``(ii) family and peer support;
``(iii) requesting the removal of child sexual abuse
material and sexually exploitive content depicting children
from the internet, including by assisting with requests to
providers (as defined in section 2258E of title 18, United
States Code) to remove visual depictions of victims that--
``(I) constitute or are associated with child sexual abuse
material; or
``(II) do not constitute child sexual abuse material but
are sexually suggestive;'';
(K) in subparagraph (M), as so redesignated--
(i) in the matter preceding clause (i), by inserting
``educational'' before ``information to families'';
(ii) in clause (i)--
(I) by striking ``child abduction and'' and inserting
``missing children and child''; and
(II) by adding ``and'' at the end; and
(iii) by striking clauses (ii) and (iii) and inserting the
following:
``(ii) internet safety, including tips and strategies to
promote safety for children using technology (including
social media) and reduce risk relating to--
``(I) cyberbullying;
``(II) child sex trafficking;
``(III) youth-produced child sexual abuse material or
sexting;
``(IV) sextortion; and
``(V) online enticement;'';
(L) in subparagraph (N), as so redesignated, by inserting
``and preventing child sexual exploitation'' after
``recovering such children'';
(M) by striking subparagraph (O), as so redesignated, and
inserting the following:
``(O) coordinate with and provide technical assistance to
Federal, State, and local government agencies relating to
cases of children missing from a State or Tribal child
welfare system and assist the efforts of law enforcement
agencies and State and Tribal child welfare agencies in--
``(i) coordinating to ensure the reporting, documentation,
and resolution of cases involving children missing from a
State or Tribal child welfare system; and
``(ii) responding to foster children missing from a State
or Tribal child welfare system; and''; and
(N) in subparagraph (P), as so redesignated, by inserting
``and recovery support services'' after ``technical
assistance''; and
(3) in subsection (c)--
(A) in paragraph (1) by striking ``and'' at the end;
(B) in paragraph (2) by striking the period at the end; and
(C) by adding at the end the following:
``(3) publish an analysis of the information determined
under paragraph (1) that includes disaggregated demographic
data and comparison of such data to demographic data from the
census.''.
(c) Reporting.--Section 407 of the Missing Children's
Assistance Act (34 U.S.C. 11295a) is amended--
(1) in subsection (a)--
(A) in paragraph (3) by striking ``and'' at the end;
(B) in paragraph (4) by striking the period at the end and
inserting a semicolon,
(C) by inserting after paragraph (4) the following:
``(5) the number of children nationwide who are reported to
the grantee as missing from State-sponsored care;
``(6) the number of children nationwide who are reported to
the grantee as missing from State-sponsored care whose
recovery was reported to the grantee; and
``(7) the number of children nationwide who are reported to
the grantee as missing from State-sponsored care and are
likely victims of child sex trafficking.'', and
(2) by adding at end the following:
``(c) Criteria for Forensic Partnerships.--As a condition
of receiving funds under section 404(b), the grant recipient
shall annually provide to the Administrator and make
available to the general public, as appropriate, the criteria
and processes the grantee uses to establish forensic
partnerships and recommend forensic resources to law
enforcement and shall annually review these forensic
partnerships and forensic referrals against the criteria and
review new advancements in technology.''.
(d) Authorization of Appropriations.--Section 409(a) of the
Missing Children's Assistance Act (34 U.S.C. 11297(a)) is
amended by striking ``$40,000,000 for each of the fiscal
years 2014 through 2023, up to $32,200,000'' and inserting
``$49,300,000 for each of fiscal years 2024 through 2028, up
to $41,500,000''.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from
North Carolina (Ms. Foxx) and the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Scott)
each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from North Carolina.
General Leave
Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may
have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and
to include extraneous material on S. 2051.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentlewoman from North Carolina?
There was no objection.
Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the Missing Children's
Assistance Reauthorization Act, which authorizes the support for the
National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, NCMEC. NCMEC is the
national clearinghouse and resource center for protecting missing and
exploited children.
Protecting our country's most vulnerable children has long been a
national priority. That is why Congress created the Missing Children's
Assistance Act, MCAA, in 1984 to provide Federal coordination of State
and local efforts to recover and support missing and exploited
children.
At the opening ceremony for NCMEC, President Reagan proclaimed, ``All
Americans, and especially our youth, should have the right and the
opportunity to walk our streets, to play and to grow and to live their
lives without being at risk.''
Ever since, NCMEC has dutifully served as the national resource
center to find missing children, reduce child sexual exploitation, and
prevent child victimization. Reauthorizing the MCAA is imperative in
today's times of unparalleled and evolving threats to children, both
online and out in public.
S. 2051, the Missing Children's Assistance Reauthorization Act of
2023, is bipartisan legislation that renews the MCAA through fiscal
year 2028 and takes critical steps in helping NCMEC better respond to
crimes affecting children across the country.
A companion bill, H.R. 5224, was introduced in the House by
Representatives Bean and Courtney, and I thank them for their work on
this important issue.
S. 2051 would improve NCMEC's ability to assist law enforcement to
identify, locate, and recover missing and exploited children; develop
educational materials to reduce the risk of child sex trafficking,
online enticement, sexual extortion, and cyberbullying; provide
education and technical assistance for conducting background checks on
individuals working with children; offer support services to missing
and exploited children and their families; and facilitate requests to
have child sexual abuse material removed from the internet.
In fact, NCMEC's commitment also extends globally, collaborating with
international organizations to combat the issue of child exploitation.
Such collaborations ensure a united effort against international
trafficking threats, particularly in a world increasingly
interconnected online and ever evolving with the advent of artificial
intelligence.
When President and CEO of NCMEC Michelle DeLaune was asked by the
Education and the Workforce Committee at a recent hearing how concerned
on a scale of 1 to 10, she was
[[Page H2231]]
about AI threats to children, DeLaune responded an 11.
Earlier this year, Big Tech CEOs testified before the Senate and
received sharp criticism for rampant child exploitation on their
platforms. Those CEOs have blame to share, but the House of
Representatives has a duty to fulfill.
Passing the Missing Children's Assistance Reauthorization Act of 2023
means we will ensure NCMEC has the tools needed to protect America's
most vulnerable children today and in the future.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of S. 2051. All children deserve a
safe, loving home and to have their basic needs met.
When a child goes missing or suffers abuse, families experience
unimaginable pain and horror. For children, the trauma is much worse.
Many survivors of exploitation or abuse suffer physical and mental harm
that can impact them for the rest of their lives.
This pain has grown in recent years. We have seen a disturbing
exponential rise in reported exploitation and child abuse cases,
particularly online. For example, in 2023, the National Center for
Missing and Exploited Children, NCMEC, received a staggering 36 million
reports of child sexual abuse and sexual exploitation from public and
electronic service providers, such as Facebook or Google on its
CyberTipline.
Members from both sides of the aisle have long agreed that NCMEC is
essential to protecting and supporting exploited children, as well as
restoring hope to parents and loved ones. Today, NCMEC is working
diligently to keep pace with innovative technology and get ahead of
evolving threats to our children's safety.
I am grateful that our colleagues Representatives Courtney and Bean
came out together to introduce the Missing Children's Assistance
Reauthorization Act, which makes several improvements to NCMEC that the
Chairwoman outlined a few minutes ago.
The bottom line is that we are working to renew the authorization of
NCMEC's grant program and to ensure that they have the necessary tools
to protect America's most vulnerable children.
Mr. Speaker, for these reasons, I support the legislation and urge my
colleagues to support it. I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from
Florida (Mr. Bean), Chairman of the Early Childhood, Elementary, and
Secondary Education Subcommittee.
Mr. BEAN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I thank Madam Chair, Ms. Foxx, very
much for the time.
Mr. Speaker, every 40 seconds in America a mother or father will
experience the worst nightmare, a missing child. The reason can be as
benign as a simple misunderstanding or a serious abduction by a
stranger.
In fact, nearly half a million children are reported missing every
year, but astonishing as that number is, the real number could be much
higher since many children are not reported missing.
However, Mr. Speaker, it didn't always used to be this way.
In the 1970s when I grew up--hard to believe that--but when I grew up
in the 1970s, I remember that we had unfettered play activities outside
as long as you are home before the streetlights came on. We were there
for dinner. Unsupervised outdoor activity was a safe, integral part of
adolescence and we lived in a high-trust society. Though, over time
that image of society slowly faded away due to several high-profile
child abductions, including the tragedy of Adam Walsh.
Now, the world feels much less safe.
Each year, threats to our children grow just as the avenues for
reaching them are expanding. Predators are more sophisticated about how
they gain access to children, their actions are more brazen, and those
threats have found a way into our homes.
The proliferation of the internet and smartphones have enabled child
sex trafficking and other forms of child exploitation. Consequently,
the number of reports of online photos and videos of children being
sexually abused is at record levels.
{time} 1800
Bottom line: Our children deserve to grow up in a safe environment.
It is our duty to protect our most precious and vulnerable citizens and
for our law enforcement to be prepared to respond efficiently and
quickly when the unthinkable happens.
That is where the Missing Children's Assistance Act, the MCAA, comes
in. Enacted in 1984, the MCAA allowed the National Center for Missing
and Exploited Children, NCMEC, to serve as the national resource center
with the goal of protecting children from abduction, exploitation, and
abuse.
The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children helps locate
missing children and provides support for victims of abduction,
exploitation, and abuse. The organization works tirelessly to prevent
these tragedies from occurring in the first place, creating a safer
world for our children.
Here are some numbers, Mr. Speaker, and they are big numbers, too. In
2023, NCMEC received 148,695 calls, and the organization assisted law
enforcement, families, and child welfare with 28,886 cases of missing
children, recovering 88 percent of those cases. For 40 years, NCMEC has
led the fight to protect children across the Nation, recovering more
than 400,000 missing children.
By supporting NCMEC, we contribute to the safety and well-being of
all children, ensuring they can grow up in an environment where they
are protected, nurtured, and allowed to flourish.
That is why I am proud to join Representative Joe Courtney to
introduce the companion to this bill. The Missing Children's Assistance
Reauthorization Act of 2023 makes critical updates to help the National
Center for Missing and Exploited Children better support youth who are
missing, to reduce child sexual exploitation, and to prevent child
victimization. This bill also provides critical transparency
requirements to better assess the performance of specific scientific
techniques and NCMEC's forensic partners to achieve the best possible
outcomes.
Specifically, this bipartisan, bicameral bill will improve NCMEC's
ability to assist law enforcement to:
Identify, locate, and recover missing and exploited children;
Develop educational materials to reduce the risk of child sex
trafficking, online enticement, sexual extortion, and cyberbullying;
Provide education and technical assistance to help conduct background
checks on individuals working with children;
Offer support to missing and exploited children and their families;
and
Facilitate requests to have child sexual abuse materials removed from
the internet.
As the father of three, I can't imagine the pain of having a missing
or exploited child. It is why I am voting ``yes'' on this bill, the
Missing Children's Assistance Reauthorization Act of 2023. I strongly
urge the entire body, all of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle,
to join me and support this bill and uphold our solemn duty to shield
children from exploitation and danger.
Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may
consume to the gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Courtney), a senior
member of the Committee on Education and the Workforce.
Mr. COURTNEY. Mr. Speaker, I join my colleagues to rise today in
strong support of the Missing Children's Assistance Reauthorization Act
of 2023. This bill is the Senate companion to H.R. 5224, which I co-led
with the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Bean), a member of the House
Education and the Workforce Committee.
This bipartisan legislation renews the Missing Children's Assistance
Act and makes critical updates to the National Center for Missing and
Exploited Children, NCMEC, to find missing children, reduce child
exploitation, and prevent child victimization.
Since Congress first authorized the National Center for Missing and
Exploited Children through the MCAA in 1984, NCMEC has assisted in over
400,000 cases to successfully recover missing children. In 2022 alone,
NCMEC assisted law enforcement, families, and child welfare agencies
with 27,644 cases of missing children who were recovered.
[[Page H2232]]
Again, NCMEC operates critical programs to help these children,
including a 24-hour toll-free hotline, a cyber tip line to report
suspected child exploitation, and a forensic science unit to help find
long-term missing children.
NCMEC is also essential to combat child abuse and exploitation
online, which is growing at an exponential rate, as we heard from my
colleagues on the floor a few minutes ago.
Unfortunately, the Missing Children's Assistance Act and the
authorization of NCMEC expired at the end of fiscal year 2023. Letting
the authorization for NCMEC continue to lapse will put the safety of
children at risk, which is particularly troubling as there has been a
disturbing and exponential increase in reports of child abuse and
exploitation, particularly online.
As we have heard from Chairwoman Foxx, the bill doesn't just merely
reauthorize the law. It also introduces updates and improvements to
allow NCMEC to perform its duty with higher efficiency.
Mr. Speaker, NCMEC has made a big impact on the State of Connecticut.
I know that because my wife, Audrey Courtney, is a pediatric nurse
practitioner at Connecticut Children's Hospital, working in its child
protection unit. That unit provides highly skilled medical help to
victims of child abuse and assists law enforcement in the apprehension,
arrest, and prosecution of perpetrators. NCMEC is instrumental to her
work and the work of her highly skilled and diligent colleagues.
Hopefully, Mr. Speaker, someday we will reach a time when there is no
need for NCMEC. Unfortunately, we are not there today in 2024.
Therefore, it is our solemn duty to America's vulnerable children to
move forward and pass this bill. I urge a ``yes'' vote.
Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my
time to close.
Vulnerable youth are at heightened risk of endangerment.
Additionally, LGBTQ+ youth face disproportionate rates of experiencing
homelessness, often caused by fleeing abuse or rejection by family
members. No child should be in harm's way or exploited because of who
they are. The majority of missing child cases reported to NCMEC involve
endangered runaways.
Importantly, NCMEC works with a diverse group of stakeholders, uses
trauma-informed practices, and uses a case management approach to
ensure that it meets the needs of each child individually, taking into
consideration their diverse needs.
I am grateful to Representatives Courtney and Bean for introducing
the House companion bill. This legislation makes several important
improvements to NCMEC's grant program and, importantly, reauthorizes
it. I call on my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support the
legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.
Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time to
close.
The successes of NCMEC over the past 40 years and the need for its
continued funding have been well established. Today, NCMEC, with its
450 employees, operates a unique public-private partnership that is the
essential formula for effective governance, working with families, law
enforcement, schools, community leaders, and nonprofits.
In 2023 alone, NCMEC received 148,695 calls, and the organization
assisted law enforcement, families, and child welfare with 28,886 cases
of missing children and recovered 88 percent of those cases.
With the passage of S. 2051, the Missing Children's Assistance
Reauthorization Act of 2023, we can ensure continuing success for
NCMEC.
Government's most basic duties include establishing justice, ensuring
domestic tranquility, providing for the common defense, and promoting
the general welfare. Our most sacred responsibility is to protect the
well-being and upbringing of future generations.
Mr. Speaker, I urge passage of this legislation to protect missing
and exploited children, who deserve their shot at the American Dream,
and I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentlewoman from North Carolina (Ms. Foxx) that the House suspend the
rules and pass the bill, S. 2051, as amended.
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further
proceedings on this motion will be postponed.
____________________