§20502 Minimum standards for issuance and dissemination of alerts through AMBER Alert communications network

Summary

The AMBER Alert Coordinator at the Department of Justice must create basic rules for when AMBER Alerts are issued and how far they are shared through the AMBER Alert network. The rules are voluntary only. As much as possible, after consulting State, territorial, tribal, and local law enforcement, the rules must make sure information about an abducted child’s special needs (including health care needs) gets to the right law enforcement, public health, and other officials, and that alerts go only to the geographic areas most likely to help find the child. The Coordinator must not interfere with existing voluntary work between local broadcasters and law enforcement and must work with the Secretaries of Transportation and Homeland Security, the Federal Communications Commission, local broadcasters, and law enforcement when making the rules.