Title 34, NavyRelease 119-110
§20503 Grant Program for Notification and Communications Systems Along Highways and Major Transportation Routes for Recovery of Abducted Children
Title 34 › Subtitle II — Protection of Children and Other Persons › CHAPTER 205 — AMBER ALERT › § 20503
Summary
The Secretary of Transportation must run a grant program that gives money to States to build or improve signs and other ways to send alerts along highways and at airports, ports, border crossings, and exits. The program can give two kinds of grants. Development grants help plan systems, write rules and message formats, set up secure communications, coordinate among agencies, and train transportation staff. Implementation grants help buy and install changeable message signs and other traveler information systems to notify drivers, passengers, and travelers about abducted children. The Federal government can pay up to 80% of project costs, but the Secretary can waive that cap for American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Grants should be spread as equally as possible among applying States. The Secretary will set the application rules. "State" means the 50 States, the District of Columbia, those U.S. territories named above, and any other U.S. territory. Congress authorized $20,000,000 for each fiscal year 2019 through 2023, and those funds stay available until spent. The Secretary must also study obstacles to using highway communication systems for child recovery and report the results to Congress not later than one year after April 30, 2003.
Full Legal Text
Title 34, §20503
Navy, Source: USLM XML via OLRC
(a)Program required
The Secretary of Transportation (referred to in this section as the “Secretary”) shall carry out a program to provide grants to States for the development or enhancement of notification or communications systems along highways and at airports, maritime ports, border crossing areas and checkpoints, and ports of exit from the United States for alerts and other information for the recovery of abducted children.
(b)Development grants
(1)In general
The Secretary may make a grant to a State under this subsection for the development of a State program for the use of changeable message signs or other information systems to notify motorists, aircraft passengers, ship passengers, and travelers about abductions of children. The State program shall provide for the planning, coordination, and design of systems, protocols, and message sets that support the coordination and communication necessary to notify motorists, aircraft passengers, ship passengers, and travelers about abductions of children.
(2)Eligible activities
A grant under this subsection may be used by a State for the following purposes:
(A)To develop general policies and procedures to guide the use of changeable message signs or other information systems to notify motorists, aircraft passengers, ship passengers, and travelers about abductions of children.
(B)To develop guidance or policies on the content and format of alert messages to be conveyed on changeable message signs or other traveler information systems.
(C)To coordinate State, regional, and local plans for the use of changeable message signs or other transportation related issues.
(D)To plan secure and reliable communications systems and protocols among public safety and transportation agencies or modify existing communications systems to support the notification of motorists, aircraft passengers, ship passengers, and travelers about abductions of children.
(E)To plan and design improved systems for communicating with motorists, aircraft passengers, ship passengers, and travelers, including the capability for issuing wide area alerts to motorists, aircraft passengers, ship passengers, and travelers.
(F)To plan systems and protocols to facilitate the efficient issuance of child abduction notification and other key information to motorists, aircraft passengers, ship passengers, and travelers during off-hours.
(G)To provide training and guidance to transportation authorities to facilitate appropriate use of changeable message signs and other traveler information systems for the notification of motorists, aircraft passengers, ship passengers, and travelers about abductions of children.
(c)Implementation grants
(1)In general
The Secretary may make a grant to a State under this subsection for the implementation of a program for the use of changeable message signs or other information systems to notify motorists, aircraft passengers, ship passengers, and travelers about abductions of children. A State shall be eligible for a grant under this subsection if the Secretary determines that the State has developed a State program in accordance with subsection (b).
(2)Eligible activities
A grant under this subsection may be used by a State to support the implementation of systems that use changeable message signs or other information systems to notify motorists, aircraft passengers, ship passengers, and travelers about abductions of children. Such support may include the purchase and installation of changeable message signs or other information systems to notify motorists, aircraft passengers, ship passengers, and travelers about abductions of children.
(d)Federal share
(1)In general
Except as provided in paragraph (2), the Federal share of the cost of any activities funded by a grant under this section may not exceed 80 percent.
(2)Waiver
If the Secretary determines that American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, or the Virgin Islands of the United States is unable to comply with the requirement under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall waive such requirement.
(e)Distribution of grant amounts
The Secretary shall, to the maximum extent practicable, distribute grants under this section equally among the States that apply for a grant under this section within the time period prescribed by the Secretary.
(f)Administration
The Secretary shall prescribe requirements, including application requirements, for the receipt of grants under this section.
(g)Definition
In this chapter, the term “State” means any of the 50 States, the District of Columbia, American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, the Northern Mariana Islands, the Virgin Islands of the United States, and any other territory of the United States.
(h)Authorization of appropriations
There is authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary to carry out this section $20,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2019 through 2023. Such amounts shall remain available until expended.
(i)Study of State programs
(1)Study
The Secretary shall conduct a study to examine State barriers to the adoption and implementation of State programs for the use of communications systems along highways for alerts and other information for the recovery of abducted children.
(2)Report
Not later than 1 year after April 30, 2003, the Secretary shall transmit to Congress a report on the results of the study, together with any recommendations the Secretary determines appropriate.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Editorial Notes
Codification Section was formerly classified to section 5791b of Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare, prior to editorial reclassification and renumbering as this section.
Amendments
2021—Pub. L. 116–283, § 10001(b)(1)(A), inserted “and major transportation routes” after “along highways” in section catchline. Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 116–283, § 10001(b)(1)(B), inserted “(referred to in this section as the ‘Secretary’)” after “Secretary of Transportation” and “and at airports, maritime ports, border crossing areas and checkpoints, and ports of exit from the United States” after “along highways”. Subsec. (b)(1). Pub. L. 116–283, § 10001(b)(1)(C)(i), substituted “other information systems to notify motorists, aircraft passengers, ship passengers, and travelers” for “other motorist information systems to notify motorists” and inserted “, aircraft passengers, ship passengers, and travelers” after “necessary to notify motorists”. Subsec. (b)(2)(A). Pub. L. 116–283, § 10001(b)(1)(C)(ii)(I), substituted “other information systems to notify motorists, aircraft passengers, ship passengers, and travelers” for “other motorist information systems to notify motorists”. Subsec. (b)(2)(D). Pub. L. 116–283, § 10001(b)(1)(C)(ii)(II), inserted “, aircraft passengers, ship passengers, and travelers” after “support the notification of motorists”. Subsec. (b)(2)(E). Pub. L. 116–283, § 10001(b)(1)(C)(ii)(III), inserted “, aircraft passengers, ship passengers, and travelers” after “motorists” in two places. Subsec. (b)(2)(F), (G). Pub. L. 116–283, § 10001(b)(1)(C)(ii)(IV), (V), inserted “, aircraft passengers, ship passengers, and travelers” after “motorists”. Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 116–283, § 10001(b)(1)(D), substituted “other information systems to notify motorists, aircraft passengers, ship passengers, and travelers” for “other motorist information systems” in two places. Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 116–283, § 10001(b)(1)(E), amended subsec. (d) generally. Prior to amendment, text read as follows: “The Federal share of the cost of any activities funded by a grant under this section may not exceed 80 percent.” Subsec. (g). Pub. L. 116–283, § 10001(b)(1)(F), substituted “In this chapter” for “In this section” and “American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, the Northern Mariana Islands, the Virgin Islands of the United States, and any other territory of the United States” for “or Puerto Rico”. Subsec. (h). Pub. L. 116–283, § 10001(b)(1)(G), substituted “each of fiscal years 2019 through 2023” for “fiscal year 2004”.
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
34 U.S.C. § 20503
Title 34, Navy
Last Updated
Sep 22, 2026
Release point: 119-110