[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 198 (Wednesday, December 13, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Page S18559]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Ms. SNOWE (for herself and Mr. Mack):
  S. 1473. A bill to authorize the Administrator of General Services to 
permit the posting in space under the control of the Administrator of 
notices concerning missing children, and for other purposes; to the 
Committee on Environment and Public Works.


                      Missing Children Legislation

 Ms. SNOWE. Mr. President, I introduce a small but important 
piece of legislation designed to assist parents in times of terrible 
crisis and need, times that every parent has nightmares about--when 
their children are missing.
  Imagine the horror of discovering that your child is missing. Imagine 
the pain and emotion that overcomes a family at such a time. Imagine 
the strength and dedication that such families muster in order to do 
everything possible to locate that child. And imagine how this horror 
and devastation becomes compounded by senseless Government regulations 
which hinder their efforts to locate their children.
  Consider the tragic experience of Claudine and Don Ryce, the parents 
of Jimmy Ryce, a 10-year-old Florida boy who disappeared on September 
11 of this year. Jimmy disappeared somewhere in the three square blocks 
between his school bus stop and his home.
  Tragically, Jimmy's body was found late last week. I extend my 
deepest sympathy, and my most sincere condolences, to his family.
  I want Jimmy's parents to know that I heard about the frustration 
they encountered as they searched for their son. I want them to know 
that Congress will do something to rectify this. Today, I want to break 
down one barrier that they encountered in their vigilant efforts to 
locate their son.
  Jimmy's parents tell the story of how simple tasks, such as posting 
notices in Federal buildings with Jimmy's picture on it, were 
frustrated by senseless Government regulation. They tell of how, with 
the assistance of the FBI, they would post these notices in one Federal 
agency building, only to have them removed by employees of another 
agency. Imagine how frustrating this must be to parents of missing 
children. How frustrating this must be, especially since photographs of 
missing children are the most effective tool we have for locating these 
children.
  Unfortunately, far too many children are missing in this country. A 
1990 study by the Department of Justice--the most recent study on this 
issue--found that in 1988 there were as many as:
  114,600 attempted abductions of children by non-family members;
  4,600 abductions by non-family members reported to the police;
  300 abductions by non-family members where the children were gone for 
long periods of time or were murdered;
  354,000 children abducted by family members;
  450,700 children who ran away; and
  438,200 children who were lost, injured or otherwise missing.
  Moreover, the National Crime Information Center reports that 
approximately 60,000 children are missing at any given time.
  The legislation that I introduce today is designed to help the 
parents of these missing children by eliminating one barrier that 
Jimmy's parents faced in their search for their son.
  This legislation amends the Protection of Public Property Act, which 
empowers the General Services Administration [GSA] to set rules 
governing Federal property under its control. Currently, Federal 
regulations issued by the GSA prohibit the posting of materials on 
Federal property. My bill directs the GSA to make a very important 
exception to these rules, and requires the GSA to draft regulations 
allowing the posting of notices designed to locate missing children. It 
also ensures that Federal employees cannot needlessly remove these 
posters.
  As Jimmy's father said, ``There are things the Government can do, 
simple things, that would make it easier to publicize'' that a child is 
missing. He also said that we need to ``turn these agencies into our 
allies.''
  Well, Mr. Ryce, you are correct, and I believe that this legislation 
will do just that.
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