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U.S. Code as of:
01/19/04
Section 5773. Duties and functions of the Administrator
(a) Description of activities
The Administrator shall -
(1) issue such rules as the Administrator considers necessary
or appropriate to carry out this subchapter;
(2) make such arrangements as may be necessary and appropriate
to facilitate effective coordination among all federally funded
programs relating to missing children (including the preparation
of an annual comprehensive plan for facilitating such
coordination);
(3) provide for the furnishing of information derived from the
national toll-free telephone line, established under subsection
(b)(1) of this section, to appropriate entities;
(4) provide adequate staff and agency resources which are
necessary to properly carry out the responsibilities pursuant to
this subchapter; and
(5) not later than 180 days after the end of each fiscal year,
submit a report to the President, Speaker of the House of
Representatives, and the President pro tempore of the Senate -
(A) containing a comprehensive plan for facilitating
cooperation and coordination in the succeeding fiscal year
among all agencies and organizations with responsibilities
related to missing children;
(B) identifying and summarizing effective models of Federal,
State, and local coordination and cooperation in locating and
recovering missing children;
(C) identifying and summarizing effective program models that
provide treatment, counseling, or other aid to parents of
missing children or to children who have been the victims of
abduction;
(D) describing how the Administrator satisfied the
requirements of paragraph (4) in the preceding fiscal year;
(E) describing in detail the number and types of telephone
calls received in the preceding fiscal year over the national
toll-free telephone line established under subsection (b)(1)(A)
of this section and the number and types of communications
referred to the national communications system established
under section 5714-11 of this title;
(F) describing in detail the activities in the preceding
fiscal year of the national resource center and clearinghouse
established under subsection (b)(2) of this section;
(G) describing all the programs for which assistance was
provided under section 5775 of this title in the preceding
fiscal year;
(H) summarizing the results of all research completed in the
preceding year for which assistance was provided at any time
under this subchapter; and
(I)(i) identifying each clearinghouse with respect to which
assistance is provided under section 5775(a)(9) of this title
in the preceding fiscal year;
(ii) describing the activities carried out by such
clearinghouse in such fiscal year;
(iii) specifying the types and amounts of assistance (other
than assistance under section 5775(a)(9) of this title)
received by such clearinghouse in such fiscal year; and
(iv) specifying the number and types of missing children
cases handled (and the number of such cases resolved) by such
clearinghouse in such fiscal year and summarizing the
circumstances of each such cases.)1(!
(b) Annual grant to National Center for Missing and Exploited
Children
(1) In general
The Administrator shall annually make a grant to the Center,
which shall be used to -
(A)(i) operate a national 24-hour toll-free telephone line by
which individuals may report information regarding the location
of any missing child, or other child 13 years of age or younger
whose whereabouts are unknown to such child's legal custodian,
and request information pertaining to procedures necessary to
reunite such child with such child's legal custodian; and
(ii) coordinate the operation of such telephone line with the
operation of the national communications system referred to in
part C of subchapter III of this chapter;
(B) operate the official national resource center and
information clearinghouse for missing and exploited children;
(C) provide to State and local governments, public and
private nonprofit agencies, and individuals, information
regarding -
(i) free or low-cost legal, restaurant, lodging, and
transportation services that are available for the benefit of
missing and exploited children and their families; and
(ii) the existence and nature of programs being carried out
by Federal agencies to assist missing and exploited children
and their families;
(D) coordinate public and private programs that locate,
recover, or reunite missing children with their families;
(E) disseminate, on a national basis, information relating to
innovative and model programs, services, and legislation that
benefit missing and exploited children;
(F) provide technical assistance and training to law
enforcement agencies, State and local governments, elements of
the criminal justice system, public and private nonprofit
agencies, and individuals in the prevention, investigation,
prosecution, and treatment of cases involving missing and
exploited children;
(G) provide assistance to families and law enforcement
agencies in locating and recovering missing and exploited
children, both nationally and internationally; and
(H) coordinate the operation of a cyber tipline to provide
online users an effective means of reporting Internet-related
child sexual exploitation in the areas of -
(i) distribution of child pornography;
(ii) online enticement of children for sexual acts; and
(iii) child prostitution.
(2) Authorization of appropriations
There is authorized to be appropriated to the Administrator to
carry out this subsection, $20,000,000 for each of the fiscal
years 2004 through 2008.
(c) National incidence studies
The Administrator, either by making grants to or entering into
contracts with public agencies or nonprofit private agencies, shall
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(1) periodically conduct national incidence studies to
determine for a given year the actual number of children reported
missing each year, the number of children who are victims of
abduction by strangers, the number of children who are the
victims of parental kidnapings, and the number of children who
are recovered each year; and
(2) provide to State and local governments, public and private
nonprofit agencies, and individuals information to facilitate the
lawful use of school records and birth certificates to identify
and locate missing children.
(d) Independent status of other Federal agencies
Nothing contained in this subchapter shall be construed to grant
to the Administrator any law enforcement responsibility or
supervisory authority over any other Federal agency.
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