[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 134 (Tuesday, October 24, 2000)]
[House]
[Pages H10634-H10636]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    SENSE OF HOUSE THAT COMMUNITIES SHOULD IMPLEMENT AMBER PLAN FOR 
                     RECOVERY OF ABDUCTED CHILDREN

  Mr. CHABOT. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the 
resolution (H. Res. 605) expressing the sense of the House of 
Representatives that communities should implement the Amber Plan to 
expedite the recovery of abducted children.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                              H. Res. 605

       Whereas communities should implement an emergency alert 
     plan such as the Amber Plan to expedite the recovery of 
     abducted children;
       Whereas the Amber Plan, a partnership between law 
     enforcement agencies and media officials, assists law 
     enforcement, parents, and local communities to respond 
     immediately to the most serious child abduction cases;
       Whereas the Amber Plan was created in 1996 in memory of 9-
     year-old Amber Hagerman who was kidnapped and murdered in 
     Arlington, Texas;
       Whereas in response to community concern, the Association 
     of Radio Managers with the assistance of area law enforcement 
     in Arlington, Texas, created the Amber Plan;
       Whereas, to date, the Amber Plan is credited with saving 
     the lives of at least 9 children nationwide;
       Whereas the National Center for Missing and Exploited 
     Children endorses the Amber Plan and is promoting the use of 
     such emergency alert plans nationwide;
       Whereas the Amber Plan is responsible for reuniting 
     children with their searching parents: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of 
     Representatives that Amber Plan is a powerful tool in 
     fighting child abductions and should be used across the 
     United States.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Ohio (Mr. Chabot) and the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Scott) each will 
control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Chabot).


                             General Leave

  Mr. CHABOT. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may 
have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks 
and include extraneous material on H.Res. 605.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Ohio?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. CHABOT. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H. Res. 605, introduced by 
the gentlewoman from New Mexico (Mrs. Wilson). This resolution will 
express the sense of the House of Representatives that communities 
across the United States should implement what has become known as the 
Amber Plan to help find and recover children who have been abducted.
  Crimes committed against our children is a serious problem in the 
United States. Congress has played a significant role in our national 
struggle to protect children by providing grant money to the States to 
fight crime committed against children and by passing tough new Federal 
laws to prosecute criminals who victimize children. But of course most 
of the work to prevent these crimes and punish those who commit them 
occurs at the local level.
  Today Congress has an opportunity to bring national attention to an 
effective program working at the local level called the Amber Plan. 
This program, begun in Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, helps save the lives 
of children who have been kidnapped. The Amber Plan was created in 1996 
in memory of 9-year-old Amber Hagerman who was tragically kidnapped and 
murdered in Arlington, Texas. Because of its success in Dallas-Fort 
Worth, it has been replicated in communities across the country.
  The Amber Plan works by utilizing the national Emergency Alert 
System. When a child is reported abducted, the abduction, including the 
description of the alleged perpetrator, is immediately broadcast by 
local radio and television stations using the Emergency Alert System. 
These alerts get the word to everyone who might recognize the child or 
might recognize the abductor and then call the police. Since its 
inception, the Amber Plan has led to the safe recovery of at least nine 
children nationwide.
  The use of the Emergency Alert System to blanket broadcast areas with 
the news that a child has been abducted is a wonderful idea. Any time a 
crime such as a kidnapping is committed, quick action can make all the 
difference in whether the criminal gets away with his crime or is 
apprehended.
  I want to thank the gentlewoman from New Mexico (Mrs. Wilson) for her 
leadership on this issue. I urge all my colleagues to support the 
resolution.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. SCOTT. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 605 which would express the 
sense of the House of Representatives that communities should implement 
the Amber Plan to expedite the recovery of abducted children.
  The Amber Plan provides for community law enforcement, radio and 
television stations to work together to alert the public of child 
abductions.
  Under the plan, the law enforcement alerts the media which interrupt 
programs to broadcast notices seeking help from the public when child 
abductions are reported and confirmed.
  The Amber Plan was created in December 1996 in memory of 9-year-old 
Amber Hagerman who was kidnapped and murdered in Arlington, Texas. 
Since its creation, the system has become a powerful tool, especially 
in the early hours of an abduction investigation, and is credited with 
saving the lives of at least nine children nationwide.

                              {time}  1530

  The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, a respected 
organization dedicated to assisting families in recovering missing 
children, has endorsed the Amber Plan and is directing its expansion. 
Versions of the plan have been adopted in several cities already, 
including Kansas City, Missouri; Memphis, Tennessee; Charlotte, North 
Carolina; and Cincinnati, Ohio.
  Mr. Speaker, the Amber Plan deserves our wholehearted support. It 
provides for a partnership between law enforcement, the media, and the 
community which can mean the difference between life and death for a 
child. I commend those who developed the plan and urge my colleagues to 
vote for this resolution.
  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of 
House Resolution 605, which expresses the Sense of the House that 
communities should implement the Amber Plan to expedite the recovery of 
abducted children.
  The Amber Plan is a partnership between law enforcement agencies and 
media officials, assists law enforcement, parents, and local 
communities to respond immediately to the most serious child abduction 
cases. The Amber Plan was created in 1996 in memory of 9-year-old Amber 
Hagerman who was kidnapped and murdered in Arlington, Texas. In 
response to community concern, regarding the abduction of Amber 
Hagerman, the Association of Radio Managers with the assistance of area 
law enforcement in Arlington, Texas created the Amber Plan. To date, 
the Amber Plan is credited with saving the lives of at least 9 children 
nationwide.
  The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children endorses the 
Amber Plan and is promoting the use of such emergency alert plans 
nationwide. For this reason, I believe that the Amber Plan does offer 
useful tools to those who are in need of resources in the search for 
tools to fight child abductions and should be used across the United 
States.
  Mrs. WILSON. Mr. Speaker, House Resolution 605 expresses the sense of 
the House of Representatives that communities should implement the 
Amber Plan to expedite the recovery of abducted children.
  Mr. Speaker, when a child is abducted, the family's anguish and fear 
is beyond measure. The Amber Plan was created to quickly enlist the 
public as partners with law enforcement and the news media to intervene 
before an abduction ends in serious injury or death for an innocent 
child.
  The plan was created in 1996 in memory of 9-year-old Amber Hagerman 
who was kidnapped and murdered in Arlington, Texas. To date, the plan 
is credited with saving the lives of at least 9 children nationwide.
  This is how the plan works: When a child is reported abducted, law 
enforcement notifies local television and radio stations. Both TV

[[Page H10635]]

and radio announcements are broadcast describing the child and other 
details. The public is given phone number to call if they see the 
child. House Resolution 605 calls upon communities across the U.S. to 
implement their own Amber Alert programs to assist locally in the 
recovery of abducted children. House Resolution 605 has been endorsed 
by the National center for Missing and Exploited Children. They are 
working to bring this program to cities and towns nationwide and I 
commended them for their efforts.
  Mr. Speaker, I would also like to thank my colleague Mr. Lampson from 
Texas for his assistance with this resolution and commend him as the 
Chairman of the Missing and Exploited Children's Caucus.
  Mr. LAMPSON. Mr. Speaker. I rise today in strong support of H. Res. 
605, a resolution expressing the sense of the House of Representatives 
that communities should implement the Amber Plan to expedite the 
recovery of abducted children.
  Amber Hagerman, a 9-year-old from Arlington, Texas, was abducted in 
front of witnesses in 1996. Her body was found 4 days later. After this 
tragedy, police and local radio station developed the ``Amber Plan'', 
named in honor of Amber Hagerman--which was the first use of the 
Emergency Alert System (EAS), formerly the Emergency Broadcast System, 
to report a missing child. Under the plan, television and radio 
stations interrupt programming to broadcast information about a child 
abduction by using the EAS, a system typically used for weather or 
other civil emergencies. Since the Amber plan was established in Texas, 
many areas across the country have adopted a similar emergency alert 
plan on the local, regional, and even statewide-level. Between 1996 and 
2000, these plans have been credited with the safe return of at least 
nine children.
  The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children has endorsed 
the use of the ``AMBER Plan''--America's Missing: Broadcast Emergency 
Response--to assist in the recovery of missing children. The plan is 
simple--to alert the public as quickly as possible of a child abduction 
in hopes of gaining information leading to the safe recovery of that 
child and capture of the abductor.
  Mr. Speaker, children are snatched off the street everyday in 
America. Tragically, some are never returned to their caretakers, and 
many are victims of assault and murder. A 1997 study by the Washington 
States Attorney indicated that 74 percent of children abducted and 
murdered by strangers were killed within three hours of being taken.
  Realizing that time is of the essence in these cases, this resolution 
encourages states and communities to recognize that the abduction of a 
child is of the highest priority for response and investigation. In 
furtherance of this type of investigation, a carefully planned and 
quick notification of the public in the area of the abduction by 
commercial broadcast methods, the ``AMBER Plan'', can be a valuable 
tool in the quick recovery of abducted children.
  I urge my colleagues to vote for this resolution.
  Mr. FROST. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of House Resolution 
605, which recognizes the importance of the Amber Plan to families 
across the country, and encourages other communities to implement the 
plan. I want to thank Mrs. Wilson and Nick Lampson for their efforts in 
bringing this resolution to the floor.
  Mr. Speaker, the Amber Plan was created in memory of Amber Hagerman, 
a nine-year-old girl from Arlington, Texas who was tragically abducted 
and murdered in 1996. Amber was bright and pretty and was riding her 
bike on January 13 when someone came along and took her away. This case 
occurred in my congressional district, but I am sure that events like 
this have happened--sadly--in every corner of our country, in our 
cities and in the heartlands.
  This case caused the police and broadcasters in the North Texas area 
to look at how they could better protect our community's children. Now 
once police have received a report of child abduction, they fax 
information to area media outlets. Broadcast stations then sound an 
emergency tone during broadcasts--similar to a weather alert--which is 
followed by the information from police. It gives a description of the 
children who are missing, the vehicle that they were kidnapped in, and 
a description of the kidnappers. It also gives a number that people can 
call to report information. The Amber Plan treats a child abduction 
like the entire community's emergency, and enlists their help to find 
the kidnappers.
  The success of the Amber Plan in North Texas has led several other 
communities to implement the plan. Just recently, I spoke with a radio 
station in Oklahoma, where the state's first use of the Amber Alert led 
to the successful recovery of two children during a car theft. The 
State of Florida just recently implemented the system statewide. And 
the National Center of Missing and Exploited Children is working on 
implementing the system in a number of other major metropolitan areas.
  Last year, I hosted members of the Amber Plan Task Force at a meeting 
in the Capitol. They addressed Members of Congress about the 
effectiveness of the Amber Plan in North Texas, and how it can be 
expanded to their own congressional districts. The group also met with 
officials from the National Association of Broadcasters and encouraged 
them to inform their members about expanding the Amber Plan throughout 
the country.
  Along with Mr. Lampson, Mr. Franks, and several other Members, I am 
one of the founding members of the Missing and Exploited Children's 
Caucus. Members of the Caucus know that each year hundred of thousands 
of American families are confronted with the tragedy of a missing 
child. This resolution helps remind us that we must constantly work to 
increase the awareness of these tragic occurrences and to introduce 
legislation to combat these heinous crimes.
  Whoever took Amber didn't know and didn't care that she was an honor 
student who made all As and Bs. They didn't care that she was a Brownie 
who had lots of friends and who loved her little brother dearly. They 
didn't care that her whole life was ahead of her and that their parents 
wanted to watch her grow into the lovely young woman she promised to 
be.
  Mr. Speaker, we all need to get involved--parents, relatives, 
politicians, police and other enforcement agencies--to direct attention 
to the problem of missing children. It is my hope, Mr. Speaker, that 
someday we will not need the Amber Plan to combat the growing epidemic 
of missing and exploited children. It is my hope that someday every 
child in America will feel safe. It is my hope that someday every child 
will feel secure while riding his or her bicycle in the neighborhood. 
It is my hope that someday no parent will ever have to face the tragedy 
that Amber Hagerman's parents had to face. But until that day comes, we 
need to support this resolution and work together to protect this 
country's greatest asset--our children.
  Mr. GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to join my colleagues in 
support of this resolution. The Amber program is a great example of law 
enforcement, the local media and communities coming together to save 
lives. Today, our children face many obstacles and we need to do what 
ever we can to ensure their safety. In The Dallas-Fort Worth area Amber 
program has been successful in the recovery of abducted children.
  While we cannot prevent every child abduction, it is important for 
local communities to respond immediately to child abduction cases and 
reunite them with their parents as soon as possible. In my district, a 
young girl was abducted recently. The abductor took the girl on a 
bicycle to a nearby bus station and then boarded a bus to Florida. This 
all happened within 20 or 30 minutes. Had the Amber plan been 
implemented, media outlets would have been interrupted immediately to 
report a description of the abductor and the location where the 
abduction took place. This would have saved time and possibly prevented 
the abductor from getting on that bus to Florida with the child. 
Fortunately, the young girl was found safely. Unfortunately, it doesn't 
always end this way.
  Since last year, I have been working with law enforcement agencies in 
the Houston and Harris County area, and our local media, to establish a 
plan similar to the Amber program. The plan, which is still under 
development by the Amber Plan Subcommittee, should be operational by 
January 2001. It will be a cooperative public service effort between 36 
law enforcement agencies in the five-county area Fort Bend, Galveston, 
Harris, Montgomery, and Waller counties and 40 local radio, television 
stations, cable systems.
  Chuck Wolf, Chairman of the Emergency Alert System and Mark McCoy, 
station manager of KTRH radio station in Houston have been instrumental 
in the development of this program. It is important to point out that 
in order to activate the Houston Regional Amber Plan strict criteria 
must be met. It has to go through a screening process before it is 
activated. Once it is activated, we have to make sure that the 
emergency alert message is sent quickly and is easy to understand--it 
can only be activated if it passes a screening process.
  Law enforcement, local media outlets, and communities will 
collaborate to make sure that the requirements are met and that the 
emergency alert is activated properly. However, we also need for the 
Federal Communications Commission to take part in this effort. 
Currently, broadcasters are limited by the types of codes they can use 
to describe the alert event. I urge the FCC to expand event codes that 
will specifically describe if it is an Amber Alert, hazardous and 
environmental disaster, or any other man made disaster. We must utilize 
our available technology effectively to protect our citizens and 
specially our children from all types of disasters and civil 
disturbances.
  I strongly support this resolution and urge other Members to 
encourage their communities to implement similar programs.

[[Page H10636]]

  Mr. HYDE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 605, which was 
introduced by the Gentlelady from New Mexico, Mrs. Wilson. H. Res. 605 
expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that communities 
should implement the ``Amber Plan'' to expedite the recovery of 
abducted children. As we all know, the problem of missing and abducted 
children is a continuing national concern. Few things are as disturbing 
to us as crimes committed against kids, and Congress should do all it 
can to reduce the threat to our children.
  H. Res. 605 is a simple resolution that highlights the ``Amber 
Plan,'' a very effective partnership between law enforcement and the 
media in Dallas-Fort Worth that has helped save the lives of kids who 
have been kidnaped. The resolution urges the replication of the Amber 
Plan in communities across America.
  The Amber Plan was created in 1996 in memory of 9-year-old Amber 
Hagerman, who was tragically kidnaped and murdered in Arlington, Texas. 
Since then, many communities across the United States have put similar 
plans into effect. It is credited with the safe return of at least nine 
abducted children nationwide. Here's how it works. When a child is 
reported abducted, the abduction--including a description of the 
alleged perpetrator--is immediately flashed across local radio and 
television stations using the Emergency Alert System, what used to be 
known as the Emergency Broadcast System. This quick action alerts the 
community to the abduction, and it has apparently spooked child 
abductors into releasing their victims when they hear descriptions of 
themselves broadcast on the radio or TV.
  Quick action is often necessary to thwart the commission of crime, 
and the Amber Plan is a great idea that ought to be put in place in 
every city and town across America. I want to thank the Gentlelady for 
her leadership on this issue, and I urge all my colleagues to support 
the resolution.
  Mr. VISCLOSKY. Mr. Speaker; I rise today to express my strong support 
for House Resolution 605 introduced by Representative Wilson. I would 
also like to applaud the efforts of the Missing and Exploited Children 
Caucus for raising the awareness of such issues. H. Res. 605 expresses 
the sense of the House of Representatives that communities should 
implement the Amber Alert Plan to expedite the recovery of abducted 
children. The Amber Alert Plan was created in 1996 in memory of 9-year-
old Amber Hagerman who was kidnapped and murdered in Arlington, Texas. 
The Alert has been credited with saving the lives of at least 9 
children nationwide.
  Last year in Northwest Indiana, more than 1,600 children were 
reported missing. When a child is abducted, time is the most important 
factor in determining whether that child will return home alive. Due to 
the Amber Plan's proven track record of success, I initiated the Alert 
in my district on April 4, 2000. The Amber Alert is a joint effort 
between media outlets and police departments that enlists the help of 
the public to put more eyes on the look out for a missing child. In the 
event of an abduction, radio, and television stations provide quick, 
police-generated reports on the child. The notification plan commonly 
beings with a high-pitched tone and is followed by detailed information 
about the missing child or kidnaping suspect. A phone number is then 
given for the public to call if they see either the child or the 
suspect. Police are careful not to overuse the Amber Plan, carefully 
evaluating the circumstances of a missing child report before sounding 
the alert. I truly believe that the Amber Alert will be a valuable 
resource in my district in the effort to assist localities in the 
timely return of any missing child.
  I support the efforts of communities across the U.S. in implementing 
their own Amber Alert programs to assist in the recovery of abducted 
children. This resolution has been endorsed by the National Center for 
Missing and Exploited Children, which continues to work tirelessly to 
implement this program nationwide. I urge my colleagues to support this 
resolution in an effort to combat child abduction and protect our 
children.
  Mr. SCOTT. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I 
yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. CHABOT. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I 
yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Hansen). The question is on the motion 
offered by the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Chabot) that the House suspend 
the rules and agree to the resolution, House Resolution 605.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor 
thereof) the rules were suspended and the resolution was agreed to.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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