HR 5075 — Ashanti Alert Act of 2018

[Congressional[115th BillsCongress 115thPublic Congress]Law 401] [From the U.S.

Government Publishing Office] [H.R.[[Page 5335]] ASHANTI ALERT ACT OF 2018 [[Page 132 STAT.

50755336]] EngrossedPublic AmendmentLaw Senate115-401 (EAS)]115th <DOC>Congress InAn theAct SenateTo ofencourage, enhance, and integrate Ashanti Alert plans throughout the United States, Decemberand 6,for 2018.other purposes.

Resolved,<<NOTE: That the bill from the House of Representatives (H.R.

5075)Dec. entitled ``An Act to encourage, enhance, and integrate Ashanti Alert plans throughout the United States, and for other purposes.'', do pass with the following AMENDMENT:

Strike31, all2018 after- the[H.R. enacting clause and insert the following:

SECTION5075]>> 1.Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, <<NOTE:

Ashanti Alert Act of 2018.

34 USC 10101 note.>> SECTION 1.

DEFINITIONS.<<NOTE:

34 USC 21901.>> DEFINITIONS.

``(4)[[Page Ashanti132 alertSTAT. coordinator of the department of justice;

5337]] ``(4) Ashanti alert coordinator of the department of justice;

ASHANTI<<NOTE: ALERT COMMUNICATIONS NETWORK.

Coordination.

34 USC 21902.>> ASHANTI ALERT COMMUNICATIONS NETWORK.

ASHANTI<<NOTE: ALERT COORDINATOR.

``(a)34 NationalUSC Coordinator21903.>> WithinASHANTI DepartmentALERT ofCOORDINATOR. Justice.--The Attorney General shall designate an employee of the Office of Justice Programs of the Department of Justice to act as the national coordinator of the Ashanti Alert communications network.

``(b)``(a) DutiesNational of the Coordinator.--In acting as the national coordinator of the Ashanti Alert communications network, the Coordinator shall--Within ``(1)Department work with States and Indian Tribes to encourage the development of additionalJustice.--The AshantiAttorney AlertGeneral plans<<NOTE: in the network;

``(2)Designation.>> establishshall voluntarydesignate guidelinesan foremployee Statesof andthe IndianOffice Tribesof toJustice usePrograms inof developingthe AshantiDepartment Alertof plansJustice thatto willact promoteas compatible and integrated Ashanti Alert plans throughout the Unitednational States,coordinator including-- ``(A) a list of the resources necessary to establish an Ashanti Alert plan;communications network.

``(B)``(b) criteriaDuties forof evaluatingthe whetherCoordinator.--In aacting situationas warrants issuing an Ashanti Alert, taking into consideration the neednational forcoordinator the use of Ashanti Alerts to be limited in scope because the effectiveness of the Ashanti Alert communications networknetwork, may be affected by overuse, including criteria to determine-- ``(i) whether the mentalCoordinator capacityshall-- of[[Page an132 adultSTAT. who is missing, and the circumstances of his or her disappearance, including any history of domestic violence, sexual assault, child abuse, or human trafficking, warrant the issuance of an Ashanti Alert;

5338]] ``(1) work with States and Indian Tribes to encourage the development of additional Ashanti Alert plans in the network;

``(2) <<NOTE:

Guidelines.>> establish voluntary guidelines for States and Indian Tribes to use in developing Ashanti Alert plans that will promote compatible and integrated Ashanti Alert plans throughout the United States, including-- ``(A) <<NOTE:

Lists.>> a list of the resources necessary to establish an Ashanti Alert plan;

``(B) <<NOTE:

Criteria.>> criteria for evaluating whether a situation warrants issuing an Ashanti Alert, taking into consideration the need for the use of Ashanti Alerts to be limited in scope because the effectiveness of the Ashanti Alert communications network may be affected by overuse, including criteria to determine-- ``(i) whether the mental capacity of an adult who is missing, and the circumstances of his or her disappearance, including any history of domestic violence, sexual assault, child abuse, or human trafficking, warrant the issuance of an Ashanti Alert;

and ``(D) recommendations<<NOTE: on how to protect the privacy, dignity, independence, autonomy, and safety of any missing adult who may be the subject of an Ashanti Alert;

``(3)Recommenda- developtions.>> proposedrecommendations protocolson forhow efforts to recoverprotect missing adults and to reduce the numberprivacy, ofdignity, adultsindependence, whoautonomy, areand reportedsafety missing, including protocols for procedures that are needed from the time of initialany notificationmissing of a law enforcement agency that the adult iswho missingmay throughbe the timesubject of thean returnAshanti ofAlert; the adult to family, guardian, or domicile, as appropriate, including-- ``(A) public safety communications protocol;

``(3) <<NOTE:

Protocols.

Procedures.>> develop proposed protocols for efforts to recover missing adults and to reduce the number of adults who are reported missing, including protocols for procedures that are needed from the time of initial notification of a law enforcement agency that the adult is missing through the time of the return of the adult to family, guardian, or domicile, as appropriate, including-- ``(A) public safety communications protocol;

``(4) work<<NOTE: with States and Indian Tribes to ensure appropriate regional coordination of various elements of the network;

Coordination.>> work with States and Indian Tribes to ensure appropriate regional coordination of various elements of the network;

and ``(B) members who are-- ``(i) representatives of adult citizen advocacy groups, law enforcement agencies, victim service providers (as defined in section 40002(a) of the Violence Against[[Page Women132 ActSTAT. of (34 U.S.C.

5339]] Against Women Act of 1994 (34 U.S.C.

``(c) Coordination.--<<NOTE: ``(1) Coordination with other agencies.--The Coordinator shall coordinate and consult with the Secretary of Transportation, the Federal Communications Commission, the Assistant Secretary for Aging of the Department of Health and Human Services, and other appropriate offices of the Department of Justice, including the Office on Violence Against Women, in carrying out activities under this title.

Consultation.>> Coordination.-- ``(1) Coordination with other agencies.--The Coordinator shall coordinate and consult with the Secretary of Transportation, the Federal Communications Commission, the Assistant Secretary for Aging of the Department of Health and Human Services, and other appropriate offices of the Department of Justice, including the Office on Violence Against Women, in carrying out activities under this title.

``(2) Contents.--Each report under paragraph (1) shall include-- ``(A) a<<NOTE: list of each State or Indian Tribe that has established an Ashanti Alert plan;

``(B)Lists.>> a list of each State or Indian Tribe that ishas inestablished the process of establishing an Ashanti Alert plan;