[United States Statutes at Large, Volume 129, 114th Congress, 1st Session]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]


Public Law 114-12
114th Congress

An Act


 
To encourage, enhance, and integrate Blue Alert plans throughout the
United States in order to disseminate information when a law enforcement
officer is seriously injured or killed in the line of duty, is missing
in connection with the officer's official duties, or an imminent and
credible threat that an individual intends to cause the serious injury
or death of a law enforcement officer is received, and for other
purposes. <>

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 ``Rafael Ramos and Wenjian Liu National
Blue Alert Act of 2015''.
SEC. 2. <> DEFINITIONS.

In this Act:
(1) Coordinator.--The term ``Coordinator'' means the Blue
Alert Coordinator of the Department of Justice designated under
section 4(a).
(2) Blue alert.--The term ``Blue Alert'' means information
sent through the network relating to--
(A) the serious injury or death of a law enforcement
officer in the line of duty;
(B) an officer who is missing in connection with the
officer's official duties; or
(C) an imminent and credible threat that an
individual intends to cause the serious injury or death
of a law enforcement officer.
(3) Blue alert plan.--The term ``Blue Alert plan'' means the
plan of a State, unit of local government, or Federal agency
participating in the network for the dissemination of
information received as a Blue Alert.
(4) Law enforcement officer.--The term ``law enforcement
officer'' shall have the same meaning as in section 1204 of the
Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C.
3796b).
(5) Network.--The term ``network'' means the Blue Alert
communications network established by the Attorney General under
section 3.
(6) State.--The term ``State'' means each of the 50 States,
the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the United States Virgin
Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the
Northern Mariana Islands.

[[Page 193]]

SEC. 3. <> BLUE ALERT
COMMUNICATIONS NETWORK.

The Attorney General shall establish a national Blue Alert
communications network within the Department of Justice to issue Blue
Alerts through the initiation, facilitation, and promotion of Blue Alert
plans, in coordination with States, units of local government, law
enforcement agencies, and other appropriate entities.
SEC. 4. <> BLUE ALERT COORDINATOR;
GUIDELINES.

(a) <>  Coordination Within Department of
Justice.--The Attorney General shall assign an existing officer of the
Department of Justice to act as the national coordinator of the Blue
Alert communications network.

(b) Duties of the Coordinator.--The Coordinator shall--
(1) provide assistance to States and units of local
government that are using Blue Alert plans;
(2) establish voluntary guidelines for States and units of
local government to use in developing Blue Alert plans that will
promote compatible and integrated Blue Alert plans throughout
the United States, including--
(A) a list of the resources necessary to establish a
Blue Alert plan;
(B) criteria for evaluating whether a situation
warrants issuing a Blue Alert;
(C) guidelines to protect the privacy, dignity,
independence, and autonomy of any law enforcement
officer who may be the subject of a Blue Alert and the
family of the law enforcement officer;
(D) guidelines that a Blue Alert should only be
issued with respect to a law enforcement officer if--
(i) the law enforcement agency involved--
(I) confirms--
(aa) the death or serious
injury of the law enforcement
officer; or
(bb) the attack on the law
enforcement officer and that
there is an indication of the
death or serious injury of the
officer; or
(II) concludes that the law
enforcement officer is missing in
connection with the officer's official
duties;
(ii) there is an indication of serious injury
to or death of the law enforcement officer;
(iii) the suspect involved has not been
apprehended; and
(iv) there is sufficient descriptive
information of the suspect involved and any
relevant vehicle and tag numbers;
(E) guidelines that a Blue Alert should only be
issued with respect to a threat to cause death or
serious injury to a law enforcement officer if--
(i) a law enforcement agency involved confirms
that the threat is imminent and credible;
(ii) at the time of receipt of the threat, the
suspect is wanted by a law enforcement agency;
(iii) the suspect involved has not been
apprehended; and

[[Page 194]]

(iv) there is sufficient descriptive
information of the suspect involved and any
relevant vehicle and tag numbers;
(F) guidelines--
(i) that information should be provided to the
National Crime Information Center database
operated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation
under section 534 of title 28, United States Code,
and any relevant crime information repository of
the State involved, relating to--
(I) a law enforcement officer who is
seriously injured or killed in the line
of duty; or
(II) an imminent and credible threat
to cause the serious injury or death of
a law enforcement officer;
(ii) <>
that a Blue Alert should, to the maximum extent
practicable (as determined by the Coordinator in
consultation with law enforcement agencies of
States and units of local governments), be limited
to the geographic areas most likely to facilitate
the apprehension of the suspect involved or which
the suspect could reasonably reach, which should
not be limited to State lines;
(iii) for law enforcement agencies of States
or units of local government to develop plans to
communicate information to neighboring States to
provide for seamless communication of a Blue
Alert; and
(iv) providing that a Blue Alert should be
suspended when the suspect involved is apprehended
or when the law enforcement agency involved
determines that the Blue Alert is no longer
effective; and
(G) guidelines for--
(i) the issuance of Blue Alerts through the
network; and
(ii) the extent of the dissemination of alerts
issued through the network;
(3) <>  develop protocols for
efforts to apprehend suspects that address activities during the
period beginning at the time of the initial notification of a
law enforcement agency that a suspect has not been apprehended
and ending at the time of apprehension of a suspect or when the
law enforcement agency involved determines that the Blue Alert
is no longer effective, including protocols regulating--
(A) the use of public safety communications;
(B) command center operations; and
(C) incident review, evaluation, debriefing, and
public information procedures;
(4) work with States to ensure appropriate regional
coordination of various elements of the network;
(5) <>  establish an advisory group to
assist States, units of local government, law enforcement
agencies, and other entities involved in the network with
initiating, facilitating, and promoting Blue Alert plans, which
shall include--
(A) to the maximum extent practicable,
representation from the various geographic regions of
the United States; and
(B) members who are--

[[Page 195]]

(i) representatives of a law enforcement
organization representing rank-and-file officers;
(ii) representatives of other law enforcement
agencies and public safety communications;
(iii) broadcasters, first responders,
dispatchers, and radio station personnel; and
(iv) representatives of any other individuals
or organizations that the Coordinator determines
are necessary to the success of the network;
(6) act as the nationwide point of contact for--
(A) the development of the network; and
(B) regional coordination of Blue Alerts through the
network; and
(7) determine--
(A) what procedures and practices are in use for
notifying law enforcement and the public when--
(i) a law enforcement officer is killed or
seriously injured in the line of duty;
(ii) a law enforcement officer is missing in
connection with the officer's official duties; and
(iii) an imminent and credible threat to kill
or seriously injure a law enforcement officer is
received; and
(B) which of the procedures and practices are
effective and that do not require the expenditure of
additional resources to implement.

(c) Limitations.--
(1) Voluntary participation.--The guidelines established
under subsection (b)(2), protocols developed under subsection
(b)(3), and other programs established under subsection (b),
shall not be mandatory.
(2) <>  Dissemination of
information.--The guidelines established under subsection (b)(2)
shall, to the maximum extent practicable (as determined by the
Coordinator in consultation with law enforcement agencies of
States and units of local government), provide that appropriate
information relating to a Blue Alert is disseminated to the
appropriate officials of law enforcement agencies, public health
agencies, and other agencies.
(3) Privacy and civil liberties protections.--The guidelines
established under subsection (b) shall--
(A) provide mechanisms that ensure that Blue Alerts
comply with all applicable Federal, State, and local
privacy laws and regulations; and
(B) include standards that specifically provide for
the protection of the civil liberties, including the
privacy, of law enforcement officers who are seriously
injured or killed in the line of duty, is missing in
connection with the officer's official duties, or who
are threatened with death or serious injury, and the
families of the officers.

(d) Cooperation With Other Agencies.--The Coordinator shall
cooperate with the Secretary of Homeland Security, the Secretary of
Transportation, the Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission,
and appropriate offices of the Department of Justice in carrying out
activities under this Act.
(e) Restrictions on Coordinator.--The Coordinator may not--

[[Page 196]]

(1) perform any official travel for the sole purpose of
carrying out the duties of the Coordinator;
(2) lobby any officer of a State regarding the funding or
implementation of a Blue Alert plan; or
(3) host a conference focused solely on the Blue Alert
program that requires the expenditure of Federal funds.

(f) Reports.--Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of
this Act, and annually thereafter, the Coordinator shall submit to
Congress a report on the activities of the Coordinator and the
effectiveness and status of the Blue Alert plans that are in effect or
being developed.

Approved May 19, 2015.

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY--S. 665:
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CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 161 (2015):
Apr. 30, considered and passed Senate.
May 12, considered and passed House.
DAILY COMPILATION OF PRESIDENTIAL DOCUMENTS (2015):
May 19, Presidential remarks.