On the recordSeptember 11, 2012
I thank the gentleman from Virginia. I rise today to urge passage of H.R. 4305, the Child and Elderly Missing Alert Program Act of 2012. This bill, which I had the pleasure of introducing with my friend, Mr. Chabot of Ohio, will help law enforcement agencies nationwide safely recover missing children and elderly adults. As Mr. Chabot highlighted, every 40 seconds a child goes missing in America, with over 800,000 children reported each and every year. The panic that takes over when a child cannot be found is a feeling that every parent hopes and prays they will never have to experience. We know that every second is precious. In fact, in tragic cases involving abducted and murdered children, research supported by the Department of Justice shows that 74 percent were slain within the first 3 hours. Likewise, the families of adults suffering from Alzheimer's disease or another form of dementia feel that same anxiety when a loved one goes missing. They're not just in danger of injury, but of going too long without medications that they rely on. In fact, half of elderly adults who wander from their residences suffer serious injuries or death if not located within 24 hours. Though the Amber Alert and Silver Alert programs are invaluable tools for law enforcement to alert communities of missing persons, too often they're not activated until precious time has passed.…
