6 U.S.C. § 774: Reunification

Summary

Creates the National Emergency Child Locator Center inside the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. The Administrator, working with the Attorney General, must set it up no later than 180 days after October 4, 2006. Key terms: "declared event" means a major disaster or emergency; "displaced child" means someone under 21 forced from their home by the event; "displaced adult" means someone 21 or older forced from their home by the event. The Center must let people report missing or displaced children and share tips about adults who might know a child’s location. It must run a toll-free phone line and a website, send staff to disaster sites, help reunite children with families, share information with law enforcement and relief groups, provide technical help, make cooperative agreements (for example with the Red Cross), refer adult reports to an Attorney General–designated entity and to the National Emergency Family Registry and Locator System (section 775(a)), and have an emergency response plan. The Administrator must report on the Center’s status, funding, and any problems to the Senate Committees on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs and on the Judiciary and to the House Committees on Transportation and Infrastructure and on the Judiciary no later than 270 days after October 4, 2006.

Title 6, §774

Domestic Security, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Definitions

In this section: (1) Child Locator Center

(2)Declared event

The term “declared event” means a major disaster or emergency.

(3)Displaced adult

The term “displaced adult” means an individual 21 years of age or older who is displaced from the habitual residence of that individual as a result of a declared event.

(4)Displaced child

The term “displaced child” means an individual under 21 years of age who is displaced from the habitual residence of that individual as a result of a declared event.

(b)National Emergency Child Locator Center

(1)In general

Not later than 180 days after October 4, 2006, the Administrator, in coordination with the Attorney General of the United States, shall establish within the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children the National Emergency Child Locator Center. In establishing the National Emergency Child Locator Center, the Administrator shall establish procedures to make all relevant information available to the National Emergency Child Locator Center in a timely manner to facilitate the expeditious identification and reunification of children with their families.

(2)Purposes

The purposes of the Child Locator Center are to—

(A)enable individuals to provide to the Child Locator Center the name of and other identifying information about a displaced child or a displaced adult who may have information about the location of a displaced child;

(B)enable individuals to receive information about other sources of information about displaced children and displaced adults; and

(C)assist law enforcement in locating displaced children.

(3)Responsibilities and duties

The responsibilities and duties of the Child Locator Center are to—

(A)establish a toll-free telephone number to receive reports of displaced children and information about displaced adults that may assist in locating displaced children;

(B)create a website to provide information about displaced children;

(C)deploy its staff to the location of a declared event to gather information about displaced children;

(D)assist in the reunification of displaced children with their families;

(E)provide information to the public about additional resources for disaster assistance;

(F)work in partnership with Federal, State, and local law enforcement agencies;

(G)provide technical assistance in locating displaced children;

(H)share information on displaced children and displaced adults with governmental agencies and nongovernmental organizations providing disaster assistance;

(I)use its resources to gather information about displaced children;

(J)refer reports of displaced adults to—

(i)an entity designated by the Attorney General to provide technical assistance in locating displaced adults; and

(ii)the National Emergency Family Registry and Locator System as defined under section 775(a) of this title;

(K)enter into cooperative agreements with Federal and State agencies and other organizations such as the American Red Cross as necessary to implement the mission of the Child Locator Center; and

(L)develop an emergency response plan to prepare for the activation of the Child Locator Center.

(c)Omitted

(d)Report

Not later than 270 days after October 4, 2006, the Administrator shall submit to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs and the Committee on the Judiciary of the Senate and the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and the Committee on the Judiciary of the House of Representatives a report describing in detail the status of the Child Locator Center, including funding issues and any difficulties or issues in establishing the Center or completing the cooperative agreements described in subsection (b)(3)(K).

Editorial Notes

Codification Section is comprised of section 689b of Pub. L. 109–295. Subsec. (c) of section 689b of Pub. L. 109–295 amended section 11292 of Title 34, Crime Control and Law

§774 Reunification

Summary

Title 6, §774

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Enforcement

Citations & Metadata