Title 34NavyRelease 119-73

§20501 National coordination of AMBER Alert communications network

Title 34 › Subtitle Subtitle II— - Protection of Children and Other Persons › Chapter CHAPTER 205— - AMBER ALERT › § 20501

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Attorney General must pick a Department of Justice officer to run the national AMBER Alert communications network for abducted children. That person is called the AMBER Alert Coordinator and must find and fix gaps in the system (including places like airports, seaports, border crossings, checkpoints, and exit ports), help states, territories, and tribal governments build and link local AMBER plans, and act as the national contact for developing and coordinating alerts. The Coordinator must tell and consult with the FBI about every AMBER Alert. The Coordinator must work with the Secretary of Transportation, the Secretary of Homeland Security, and the FCC. By March 1, 2005, the Coordinator must report to Congress on activities and on how well each State’s AMBER plan is working, after consulting with the Secretary of Transportation.

Full Legal Text

Title 34, §20501

Navy — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)The Attorney General shall assign an officer of the Department of Justice to act as the national coordinator of the AMBER Alert communications network regarding abducted children. The officer so designated shall be known as the AMBER Alert Coordinator of the Department of Justice.
(b)In acting as the national coordinator of the AMBER Alert communications network, the Coordinator shall—
(1)seek to eliminate gaps in the network, including gaps in areas of interstate travel (including airports, maritime ports, border crossing areas and checkpoints, and ports of exit from the United States);
(2)work with States, territories of the United States, and tribal governments to encourage the development of additional elements (known as local AMBER plans) in the network;
(3)work with States, territories of the United States, and tribal governments to ensure appropriate regional coordination of various elements of the network; and
(4)act as the nationwide point of contact for—
(A)the development of the network; and
(B)regional coordination of alerts on abducted children through the network.
(c)In carrying out duties under subsection (b), the Coordinator shall notify and consult with the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation concerning each child abduction for which an alert is issued through the AMBER Alert communications network.
(d)The Coordinator shall cooperate with the Secretary of Transportation, the Secretary of Homeland Security, and the Federal Communications Commission in carrying out activities under this section.
(e)Not later than March 1, 2005, the Coordinator shall submit to Congress a report on the activities of the Coordinator and the effectiveness and status of the AMBER plans of each State that has implemented such a plan. The Coordinator shall prepare the report in consultation with the Secretary of Transportation.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Codification Section was formerly classified to section 5791 of Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare, prior to editorial reclassification and renumbering as this section.

Amendments

2021—Subsec. (b)(1). Pub. L. 116–283, § 10001(a)(1)(A)(i), inserted “(including airports, maritime ports, border crossing areas and checkpoints, and ports of exit from the United States)” after “gaps in areas of interstate travel”. Subsec. (b)(2), (3). Pub. L. 116–283, § 10001(a)(1)(A)(ii), inserted “, territories of the United States, and tribal governments” after “States”. Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 116–283, § 10001(a)(1)(B), inserted “, the Secretary of Homeland Security,” after “Secretary of Transportation”.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

34 U.S.C. § 20501

Title 34Navy

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73