AMBER ALERT EXPANSION LEGISLATION SUPPORTED BY NAB
Highlighting recent attention to child abductions, legislation to expand “Amber Alert” broadcasting system is being debated in Senate and House. In hearing Wed. before Senate Judiciary Technology Subcommittee, NAB Pres. Edward Fritts said his association supported legislation that would accelerate adoption of Amber plan -- emergency system to quickly warn public about potentially dangerous child abduction. NAB spokesman said adoption of Amber Alerts wasn’t controversial in broadcasting community. Sen. Hutchison (R-Tex.), not member of Technology Subcommittee, introduced bill Tues. that would expand system. Rep. Foley (R-Fla.) introduced similar bill Wed. Bills would create national coordinator for Amber system and devote resources for training and would streamline communications among states. Sen. Hatch (R-Utah) urged Committee to consider markup of bill as early as today (Thurs.) Several senators said it was likely to pass.
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Both broadcasters and children’s advocates supported plan, which would be voluntary for broadcasters. Both said already-agreed-upon standards for alert were important to maintain so system wouldn’t be overused and lose significance. Standards include: (1) Child is 17 years of age or younger, or person has significant physical or mental disability. (2) Law enforcement believes child has been abducted. (3) Law enforcement believes victim is in immediate danger of serious bodily injury or death. (4) Significant information is available to disseminate to public that would help locate child, suspect or vehicle. It’s important to distinguish in abduction case whether child is in immediate harm, said Marc Klaas, victim rights’ advocate and father of murdered abducted girl. His comment came in response to Technology Subcommittee Chmn. Feinstein (D-Cal.) question about abductions, most of which she said were custody cases. True, Klaas said, but in some of those cases child still was in danger of immediate harm.
Currently, 18 states have adopted statewide Amber Alert plan, as have several localities and regions, increasing total number of systems nationwide to 53. Main thrust of Hutchison bill, titled “National Amber Alert Network Act of 2002,” would be to create Amber Alert coordinator in Justice Dept. (DoJ). Coordinator would work to expand system and to coordinate issuance of regionwide Amber Alerts. “We need regional coordination of Amber Alert because abductors of children may cross state lines as they flee crime scenes,” said Feinstein, co-author of legislation. Bill also would establish grant programs at DoJ and Transportation Dept. for development of systems, including electronic message boards and funds for training and education in states that didn’t have Amber Alert. Bill would require DoJ to set minimum standards for issuing Amber Alerts. Feinstein said bill wasn’t designed to interfere with operations of state and local plans that were working well. “Participation in regional Amber plans is only voluntary, and any plan that wishes to go it alone may still do so,” Feinstein said. Foley bill would create $99.5 million fund to be used to create 50-50 matching grant program, with states paying half cost. It also would create national coordinator.
Fritts said NAB had worked with National Center for Missing & Exploited Children to create Amber kit to educate local law enforcement and broadcasters about Amber Alert. Any Amber plan should remain flexible, he said, allowing local law enforcement to work with stations to serve communities. “Broadcasters are uniquely positioned to disseminate information rapidly to an entire community,” Fritts said. Joe Farrow, Cal. Highway Patrol Deputy Commissioner, along with Klaas, highlighted Internet as another medium through which to disseminate information. Amber Alert received nationwide praise after recent abduction of 2 teenager girls. Cal. sheriff credited Amber Alert on national TV for giving police information to catch abductor (who was killed in shootout) minutes before he murdered girls. Sharon Timmons, Riverside, Cal., mother of abduction victim, told subcommittee that her daughter wouldn’t have been returned hours after her abduction if not for Amber system.