[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 60 (Tuesday, April 9, 2024)]
[House]
[Pages H2229-H2232]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       MISSING CHILDREN'S ASSISTANCE REAUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2023

  Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill 
(S. 2051) to reauthorize the Missing Children's Assistance Act, and for 
other purposes, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                                S. 2051

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Missing Children's 
     Assistance Reauthorization Act of 2023''.

     SEC. 2. MISSING CHILDREN'S ASSISTANCE ACT AMENDMENTS.

       (a) Definitions.--Section 403 of the Missing Children's 
     Assistance Act (34 U.S.C. 11292) is amended--
       (1) in paragraph (3), by striking ``and'' at the end;
       (2) in paragraph (4), by striking the period at the end and 
     inserting ``; and'', and
       (3) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(5) the term `child sexual abuse material' has the 
     meaning given the term `child pornography' in section 2256 of 
     title 18, United States Code;''.
       (b) Duties and Functions of the Administrator.--Section 404 
     of the Missing Children's Assistance Act (34 U.S.C. 11293) is 
     amended--
       (1) in subsection (a)(6)(E), by striking ``the tipline 
     established'' and inserting ``the CyberTipline established''; 
     and
       (2) in subsection (b)(1)--
       (A) in subparagraph (A)--
       (i) in clause (i)--

       (I) by striking ``hotline by which'' and inserting ``call 
     center to which''; and
       (II) by striking ``individuals may report'' and all that 
     follows and inserting ``individuals may--

       ``(I) report child sexual exploitation and the location of 
     any missing child; and
       ``(II) request information pertaining to procedures 
     necessary to reunite such child with such child's parent;'';
       (ii) by redesignating clause (ii) as clause (iii); and
       (iii) by inserting after clause (i) the following:
       ``(ii) manage the AMBER Alert Secondary Distribution 
     Program; and'';
       (B) in subparagraph (D), by striking ``with their 
     families'' and inserting ``with their parents'';
       (C) in subparagraph (F), by striking ``to families'' and 
     inserting ``to parents'';
       (D) by striking subparagraph (G) and inserting the 
     following:
       ``(G) provide technical assistance and case-related 
     resources, including--
       ``(i) referrals to--

       ``(I) child-serving professionals involved in helping to 
     recover missing and exploited children; and
       ``(II) law enforcement officers in their efforts to 
     identify, locate, and recover missing and exploited children; 
     and

       ``(ii) searching public records databases and publicly 
     accessible open source data to--

       ``(I) locate and identify potential abductors and offenders 
     involved in attempted or actual abductions; and
       ``(II) identify, locate, and recover abducted children;'';

       (E) in subparagraph (H), by inserting ``on long-term 
     missing child cases'' after ``techniques to assist'';
       (F) by striking subparagraph (I) and inserting the 
     following:

[[Page H2230]]

       ``(I) provide education, technical assistance, and 
     information to--
       ``(i) nongovernmental organizations with respect to 
     procedures and resources to conduct background checks on 
     individuals working with children; and
       ``(ii) law enforcement agencies with respect to identifying 
     and locating noncompliant sex offenders;'';
       (G) in subparagraph (J), by striking ``with their 
     families'' and inserting ``with their parents'';
       (H) in subparagraph (K)--
       (i) in clause (i)--

       (I) in the matter preceding subclause (I), by striking 
     ``tipline'' and inserting ``CyberTipline'';
       (II) in subclause (I)--

       (aa) in item (aa), by striking ``child pornography'' and 
     inserting ``child sexual abuse material'';
       (bb) in item (dd) by striking ``sex tourism involving 
     children'' and inserting ``extraterritorial child sexual 
     abuse and exploitation''; and
       (cc) in item (ee), by striking ``extra-familial''; and

       (III) in subclause (II)--

       (aa) by striking ``tipline'' and inserting 
     ``CyberTipline''; and
       (bb) by adding ``and'' at the end;
       (ii) in clause (ii)--

       (I) by striking ``child pornography'' and inserting ``child 
     sexual abuse material'';
       (II) by inserting ``and'' after ``other sexual crimes''; 
     and
       (III) by striking ``; and'' at the end and inserting ``, 
     including by providing information on legal remedies 
     available to such victims;''; and

       (iii) by striking clause (iii);
       (I) by redesignating subparagraphs (L) through (O) as 
     subparagraphs (M) through (P), respectively;
       (J) by inserting after subparagraph (K) the following:
       ``(L) provide support services, consultation, and 
     assistance to missing and sexually exploited children, 
     parents, their families, and child-serving professionals on--
       ``(i) recovery support, including counseling 
     recommendations and community support;
       ``(ii) family and peer support;
       ``(iii) requesting the removal of child sexual abuse 
     material and sexually exploitive content depicting children 
     from the internet, including by assisting with requests to 
     providers (as defined in section 2258E of title 18, United 
     States Code) to remove visual depictions of victims that--

       ``(I) constitute or are associated with child sexual abuse 
     material; or
       ``(II) do not constitute child sexual abuse material but 
     are sexually suggestive;'';

       (K) in subparagraph (M), as so redesignated--
       (i) in the matter preceding clause (i), by inserting 
     ``educational'' before ``information to families'';
       (ii) in clause (i)--

       (I) by striking ``child abduction and'' and inserting 
     ``missing children and child''; and
       (II) by adding ``and'' at the end; and

       (iii) by striking clauses (ii) and (iii) and inserting the 
     following:
       ``(ii) internet safety, including tips and strategies to 
     promote safety for children using technology (including 
     social media) and reduce risk relating to--

       ``(I) cyberbullying;
       ``(II) child sex trafficking;
       ``(III) youth-produced child sexual abuse material or 
     sexting;
       ``(IV) sextortion; and
       ``(V) online enticement;'';

       (L) in subparagraph (N), as so redesignated, by inserting 
     ``and preventing child sexual exploitation'' after 
     ``recovering such children'';
       (M) by striking subparagraph (O), as so redesignated, and 
     inserting the following:
       ``(O) coordinate with and provide technical assistance to 
     Federal, State, and local government agencies relating to 
     cases of children missing from a State or Tribal child 
     welfare system and assist the efforts of law enforcement 
     agencies and State and Tribal child welfare agencies in--
       ``(i) coordinating to ensure the reporting, documentation, 
     and resolution of cases involving children missing from a 
     State or Tribal child welfare system; and
       ``(ii) responding to foster children missing from a State 
     or Tribal child welfare system; and''; and
       (N) in subparagraph (P), as so redesignated, by inserting 
     ``and recovery support services'' after ``technical 
     assistance''; and
       (3) in subsection (c)--
       (A) in paragraph (1) by striking ``and'' at the end;
       (B) in paragraph (2) by striking the period at the end; and
       (C) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(3) publish an analysis of the information determined 
     under paragraph (1) that includes disaggregated demographic 
     data and comparison of such data to demographic data from the 
     census.''.
       (c) Reporting.--Section 407 of the Missing Children's 
     Assistance Act (34 U.S.C. 11295a) is amended--
       (1) in subsection (a)--
       (A) in paragraph (3) by striking ``and'' at the end;
       (B) in paragraph (4) by striking the period at the end and 
     inserting a semicolon,
       (C) by inserting after paragraph (4) the following:
       ``(5) the number of children nationwide who are reported to 
     the grantee as missing from State-sponsored care;
       ``(6) the number of children nationwide who are reported to 
     the grantee as missing from State-sponsored care whose 
     recovery was reported to the grantee; and
       ``(7) the number of children nationwide who are reported to 
     the grantee as missing from State-sponsored care and are 
     likely victims of child sex trafficking.'', and
       (2) by adding at end the following:
       ``(c) Criteria for Forensic Partnerships.--As a condition 
     of receiving funds under section 404(b), the grant recipient 
     shall annually provide to the Administrator and make 
     available to the general public, as appropriate, the criteria 
     and processes the grantee uses to establish forensic 
     partnerships and recommend forensic resources to law 
     enforcement and shall annually review these forensic 
     partnerships and forensic referrals against the criteria and 
     review new advancements in technology.''.
       (d) Authorization of Appropriations.--Section 409(a) of the 
     Missing Children's Assistance Act (34 U.S.C. 11297(a)) is 
     amended by striking ``$40,000,000 for each of the fiscal 
     years 2014 through 2023, up to $32,200,000'' and inserting 
     ``$49,300,000 for each of fiscal years 2024 through 2028, up 
     to $41,500,000''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from 
North Carolina (Ms. Foxx) and the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Scott) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from North Carolina.


                             General Leave

  Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may 
have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and 
to include extraneous material on S. 2051.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentlewoman from North Carolina?
  There was no objection.
  Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the Missing Children's 
Assistance Reauthorization Act, which authorizes the support for the 
National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, NCMEC. NCMEC is the 
national clearinghouse and resource center for protecting missing and 
exploited children.
  Protecting our country's most vulnerable children has long been a 
national priority. That is why Congress created the Missing Children's 
Assistance Act, MCAA, in 1984 to provide Federal coordination of State 
and local efforts to recover and support missing and exploited 
children.
  At the opening ceremony for NCMEC, President Reagan proclaimed, ``All 
Americans, and especially our youth, should have the right and the 
opportunity to walk our streets, to play and to grow and to live their 
lives without being at risk.''
  Ever since, NCMEC has dutifully served as the national resource 
center to find missing children, reduce child sexual exploitation, and 
prevent child victimization. Reauthorizing the MCAA is imperative in 
today's times of unparalleled and evolving threats to children, both 
online and out in public.
  S. 2051, the Missing Children's Assistance Reauthorization Act of 
2023, is bipartisan legislation that renews the MCAA through fiscal 
year 2028 and takes critical steps in helping NCMEC better respond to 
crimes affecting children across the country.
  A companion bill, H.R. 5224, was introduced in the House by 
Representatives Bean and Courtney, and I thank them for their work on 
this important issue.
  S. 2051 would improve NCMEC's ability to assist law enforcement to 
identify, locate, and recover missing and exploited children; develop 
educational materials to reduce the risk of child sex trafficking, 
online enticement, sexual extortion, and cyberbullying; provide 
education and technical assistance for conducting background checks on 
individuals working with children; offer support services to missing 
and exploited children and their families; and facilitate requests to 
have child sexual abuse material removed from the internet.
  In fact, NCMEC's commitment also extends globally, collaborating with 
international organizations to combat the issue of child exploitation. 
Such collaborations ensure a united effort against international 
trafficking threats, particularly in a world increasingly 
interconnected online and ever evolving with the advent of artificial 
intelligence.
  When President and CEO of NCMEC Michelle DeLaune was asked by the 
Education and the Workforce Committee at a recent hearing how concerned 
on a scale of 1 to 10, she was

[[Page H2231]]

about AI threats to children, DeLaune responded an 11.
  Earlier this year, Big Tech CEOs testified before the Senate and 
received sharp criticism for rampant child exploitation on their 
platforms. Those CEOs have blame to share, but the House of 
Representatives has a duty to fulfill.
  Passing the Missing Children's Assistance Reauthorization Act of 2023 
means we will ensure NCMEC has the tools needed to protect America's 
most vulnerable children today and in the future.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of S. 2051. All children deserve a 
safe, loving home and to have their basic needs met.
  When a child goes missing or suffers abuse, families experience 
unimaginable pain and horror. For children, the trauma is much worse. 
Many survivors of exploitation or abuse suffer physical and mental harm 
that can impact them for the rest of their lives.
  This pain has grown in recent years. We have seen a disturbing 
exponential rise in reported exploitation and child abuse cases, 
particularly online. For example, in 2023, the National Center for 
Missing and Exploited Children, NCMEC, received a staggering 36 million 
reports of child sexual abuse and sexual exploitation from public and 
electronic service providers, such as Facebook or Google on its 
CyberTipline.
  Members from both sides of the aisle have long agreed that NCMEC is 
essential to protecting and supporting exploited children, as well as 
restoring hope to parents and loved ones. Today, NCMEC is working 
diligently to keep pace with innovative technology and get ahead of 
evolving threats to our children's safety.
  I am grateful that our colleagues Representatives Courtney and Bean 
came out together to introduce the Missing Children's Assistance 
Reauthorization Act, which makes several improvements to NCMEC that the 
Chairwoman outlined a few minutes ago.
  The bottom line is that we are working to renew the authorization of 
NCMEC's grant program and to ensure that they have the necessary tools 
to protect America's most vulnerable children.
  Mr. Speaker, for these reasons, I support the legislation and urge my 
colleagues to support it. I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from 
Florida (Mr. Bean), Chairman of the Early Childhood, Elementary, and 
Secondary Education Subcommittee.
  Mr. BEAN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I thank Madam Chair, Ms. Foxx, very 
much for the time.

  Mr. Speaker, every 40 seconds in America a mother or father will 
experience the worst nightmare, a missing child. The reason can be as 
benign as a simple misunderstanding or a serious abduction by a 
stranger.
  In fact, nearly half a million children are reported missing every 
year, but astonishing as that number is, the real number could be much 
higher since many children are not reported missing.
  However, Mr. Speaker, it didn't always used to be this way.
  In the 1970s when I grew up--hard to believe that--but when I grew up 
in the 1970s, I remember that we had unfettered play activities outside 
as long as you are home before the streetlights came on. We were there 
for dinner. Unsupervised outdoor activity was a safe, integral part of 
adolescence and we lived in a high-trust society. Though, over time 
that image of society slowly faded away due to several high-profile 
child abductions, including the tragedy of Adam Walsh.
  Now, the world feels much less safe.
  Each year, threats to our children grow just as the avenues for 
reaching them are expanding. Predators are more sophisticated about how 
they gain access to children, their actions are more brazen, and those 
threats have found a way into our homes.
  The proliferation of the internet and smartphones have enabled child 
sex trafficking and other forms of child exploitation. Consequently, 
the number of reports of online photos and videos of children being 
sexually abused is at record levels.

                              {time}  1800

  Bottom line: Our children deserve to grow up in a safe environment. 
It is our duty to protect our most precious and vulnerable citizens and 
for our law enforcement to be prepared to respond efficiently and 
quickly when the unthinkable happens.
  That is where the Missing Children's Assistance Act, the MCAA, comes 
in. Enacted in 1984, the MCAA allowed the National Center for Missing 
and Exploited Children, NCMEC, to serve as the national resource center 
with the goal of protecting children from abduction, exploitation, and 
abuse.
  The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children helps locate 
missing children and provides support for victims of abduction, 
exploitation, and abuse. The organization works tirelessly to prevent 
these tragedies from occurring in the first place, creating a safer 
world for our children.
  Here are some numbers, Mr. Speaker, and they are big numbers, too. In 
2023, NCMEC received 148,695 calls, and the organization assisted law 
enforcement, families, and child welfare with 28,886 cases of missing 
children, recovering 88 percent of those cases. For 40 years, NCMEC has 
led the fight to protect children across the Nation, recovering more 
than 400,000 missing children.
  By supporting NCMEC, we contribute to the safety and well-being of 
all children, ensuring they can grow up in an environment where they 
are protected, nurtured, and allowed to flourish.
  That is why I am proud to join Representative   Joe Courtney to 
introduce the companion to this bill. The Missing Children's Assistance 
Reauthorization Act of 2023 makes critical updates to help the National 
Center for Missing and Exploited Children better support youth who are 
missing, to reduce child sexual exploitation, and to prevent child 
victimization. This bill also provides critical transparency 
requirements to better assess the performance of specific scientific 
techniques and NCMEC's forensic partners to achieve the best possible 
outcomes.
  Specifically, this bipartisan, bicameral bill will improve NCMEC's 
ability to assist law enforcement to:
  Identify, locate, and recover missing and exploited children;
  Develop educational materials to reduce the risk of child sex 
trafficking, online enticement, sexual extortion, and cyberbullying;
  Provide education and technical assistance to help conduct background 
checks on individuals working with children;
  Offer support to missing and exploited children and their families; 
and
  Facilitate requests to have child sexual abuse materials removed from 
the internet.
  As the father of three, I can't imagine the pain of having a missing 
or exploited child. It is why I am voting ``yes'' on this bill, the 
Missing Children's Assistance Reauthorization Act of 2023. I strongly 
urge the entire body, all of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle, 
to join me and support this bill and uphold our solemn duty to shield 
children from exploitation and danger.
  Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may 
consume to the gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Courtney), a senior 
member of the Committee on Education and the Workforce.
  Mr. COURTNEY. Mr. Speaker, I join my colleagues to rise today in 
strong support of the Missing Children's Assistance Reauthorization Act 
of 2023. This bill is the Senate companion to H.R. 5224, which I co-led 
with the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Bean), a member of the House 
Education and the Workforce Committee.
  This bipartisan legislation renews the Missing Children's Assistance 
Act and makes critical updates to the National Center for Missing and 
Exploited Children, NCMEC, to find missing children, reduce child 
exploitation, and prevent child victimization.
  Since Congress first authorized the National Center for Missing and 
Exploited Children through the MCAA in 1984, NCMEC has assisted in over 
400,000 cases to successfully recover missing children. In 2022 alone, 
NCMEC assisted law enforcement, families, and child welfare agencies 
with 27,644 cases of missing children who were recovered.

[[Page H2232]]

  Again, NCMEC operates critical programs to help these children, 
including a 24-hour toll-free hotline, a cyber tip line to report 
suspected child exploitation, and a forensic science unit to help find 
long-term missing children.
  NCMEC is also essential to combat child abuse and exploitation 
online, which is growing at an exponential rate, as we heard from my 
colleagues on the floor a few minutes ago.
  Unfortunately, the Missing Children's Assistance Act and the 
authorization of NCMEC expired at the end of fiscal year 2023. Letting 
the authorization for NCMEC continue to lapse will put the safety of 
children at risk, which is particularly troubling as there has been a 
disturbing and exponential increase in reports of child abuse and 
exploitation, particularly online.
  As we have heard from Chairwoman Foxx, the bill doesn't just merely 
reauthorize the law. It also introduces updates and improvements to 
allow NCMEC to perform its duty with higher efficiency.
  Mr. Speaker, NCMEC has made a big impact on the State of Connecticut. 
I know that because my wife, Audrey Courtney, is a pediatric nurse 
practitioner at Connecticut Children's Hospital, working in its child 
protection unit. That unit provides highly skilled medical help to 
victims of child abuse and assists law enforcement in the apprehension, 
arrest, and prosecution of perpetrators. NCMEC is instrumental to her 
work and the work of her highly skilled and diligent colleagues.
  Hopefully, Mr. Speaker, someday we will reach a time when there is no 
need for NCMEC. Unfortunately, we are not there today in 2024. 
Therefore, it is our solemn duty to America's vulnerable children to 
move forward and pass this bill. I urge a ``yes'' vote.
  Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my 
time to close.

  Vulnerable youth are at heightened risk of endangerment. 
Additionally, LGBTQ+ youth face disproportionate rates of experiencing 
homelessness, often caused by fleeing abuse or rejection by family 
members. No child should be in harm's way or exploited because of who 
they are. The majority of missing child cases reported to NCMEC involve 
endangered runaways.
  Importantly, NCMEC works with a diverse group of stakeholders, uses 
trauma-informed practices, and uses a case management approach to 
ensure that it meets the needs of each child individually, taking into 
consideration their diverse needs.
  I am grateful to Representatives Courtney and Bean for introducing 
the House companion bill. This legislation makes several important 
improvements to NCMEC's grant program and, importantly, reauthorizes 
it. I call on my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support the 
legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.
  Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time to 
close.
  The successes of NCMEC over the past 40 years and the need for its 
continued funding have been well established. Today, NCMEC, with its 
450 employees, operates a unique public-private partnership that is the 
essential formula for effective governance, working with families, law 
enforcement, schools, community leaders, and nonprofits.
  In 2023 alone, NCMEC received 148,695 calls, and the organization 
assisted law enforcement, families, and child welfare with 28,886 cases 
of missing children and recovered 88 percent of those cases.
  With the passage of S. 2051, the Missing Children's Assistance 
Reauthorization Act of 2023, we can ensure continuing success for 
NCMEC.
  Government's most basic duties include establishing justice, ensuring 
domestic tranquility, providing for the common defense, and promoting 
the general welfare. Our most sacred responsibility is to protect the 
well-being and upbringing of future generations.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge passage of this legislation to protect missing 
and exploited children, who deserve their shot at the American Dream, 
and I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentlewoman from North Carolina (Ms. Foxx) that the House suspend the 
rules and pass the bill, S. 2051, as amended.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further 
proceedings on this motion will be postponed.

                          ____________________