04.09.24

House Passes Bipartisan Legislation to Support Missing and Exploited Children

WASHINGTON – Today, the House passed S.2051, the Missing Children’s Assistance Reauthorization Act of 2023. The House companion bill, H.R. 5224, was authored by Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education Subcommittee Chairman Aaron Bean (R-FL) and Congressman Joe Courtney (D-CT), a senior member of the Committee. This bipartisan legislation renews the Missing Children’s Assistance Act(MCAA) and makes critical updates to help the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) better respond to crimes affecting children, support youth who are missing, and prevent child sexual exploitation and victimization. 

“The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children has provided critical lifesaving help for families, law enforcement, and child protection agencies that have to be maintained. With bipartisan House passage of the Missing Children’s Assistance Reauthorization Act, we are ensuring the Center has the latest, up-to-date resources it needs to continue protecting children and supporting families, which is particularly important today as more children are falling victim to predatory online practices,” said Congressman Courtney (CT-02). 

“As a father of three, I cannot imagine the pain of a missing or exploited child. Reauthorizing the MCAA gives hope and encouragement to loved ones during a time of immense heartbreak and uncertainty. Time is a critical factor in the search effort, and this bill will modernize the reporting system, so law enforcement can quickly find missing children and bring closure to countless families. Today’s vote is an important step in the fight to prevent child victimization, sexual exploitation, and abductions, and I look forward to seeing this bill signed into law,” said Congressman Bean (FL-04).

“Every child deserves a safe, loving home. And when a child goes missing or suffers abuse, families experience unimaginable pain and horror. And for children, the trauma is much worse. Many survivors of exploitation or abuse suffer physical and mental harm that can impact them for years,” said Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03). “Members on both sides of the aisle have long agreed the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children is essential to protecting and supporting exploited children, as well as restoring hope for parents and loved ones. I am grateful to my colleagues, Representatives Courtney and Bean, for coming together to introduce the Missing Children’s Assistance Reauthorization Act, which makes several improvements to NCMEC. This bill will renew the authorization for NCMEC’s grant program and ensure that NCMEC has the necessary tools to protect America’s most vulnerable children.”

“This bipartisan legislation will serve as a crucial lifeline for missing children and their families and offer law enforcement additional tools to locate and recover missing persons. Today’s passage of this bill provides NCMEC with vital resources, education, and coordination capabilities to prevent these unthinkable crimes from occurring and ensures NCMEC can continue its mission to protect our nation’s most vulnerable. I thank my colleagues for their prompt action and work on this important bill,” said Chairwoman Virginia Foxx (NC-05).”

The Missing Children’s Assistance Reauthorization Act of 2023 improves NCMEC’s ability to:

  • Assist law enforcement to identify, locate, and recover missing and exploited children;
  • Develop educational materials to reduce the risk of child sex trafficking, online enticement, sexual extortion, and cyberbullying;
  • Provide education and technical assistance on conducting background checks on individuals working with children;
  • Offer support services to missing and exploited children and their families; and
  • Facilitate requests to have child sexual abuse material removed from the internet.

To read the bill text of the Missing Children’s Reauthorization Act of 2023, click here.

To read the fact sheet for the Missing Children’s Reauthorization Act of 2023, click here.

To read the section-by-section for the Missing Children’s Reauthorization Act of 2023, click here.

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