Today, Congressman Ted Deutch (FL-21) joined Congressman Steve Chabot (OH-4) to introduce the Child and Elderly Missing Alert Program Act. This legislation will assist federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies in the rapid recovery of missing children and seniors. Specifically, this bill will augment current Amber and Silver alert programs by providing satellite mapping and targeted cellular alert technologies to law enforcement.

Although the current programs have proven to be effective, they require a time lapse between the time a person is reported missing and the alert is issued. The Child and Elderly Missing Alert Program Act will fill that void by allowing law enforcement to immediately send telephone and cellular alerts to Americans located in the area where the individual was last seen. As time passes after a child or senior citizen goes missing, the likelihood of them being found wanes and the search becomes more cumbersome and expensive. This legislation will increase law enforcement’s ability to safely return these vulnerable Americans to their families and loved ones.

A copy of the Child and Elderly Missing Alert Program Act is available here.