Chris Smith: “I would like to thank Chairman Lamar Smith and Ranking Member John Conyers for advancing this bill through the Judiciary…”

“I would like to thank Chairman Lamar Smith and Ranking Member John Conyers for advancing this bill through the Judiciary Committee. And, I'd like to offer my appreciation and thanks to my friend Congressman Steve Chabot for introducing the Child and Elderly Missing Alert Program Act. This is a very innovative and timely program, utilizing telephone and cellular alerts to help in the rapid recovery of missing children, elderly individuals, and the disabled. The bill specifically includes within the definition of disabled those diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. As we know cellular phones are ubiquitous and expanding the use of that technology in missing persons programs promises to greatly increase the programs' effectiveness. As a co-chairman of congressional caucuses for both Alzheimer's disease and autism, I am familiar with the widespread occurrence and the dangers of wandering for these populations. Sixty percent of the millions of Alzheimer's sufferers wander at some point in their illness, many are habitual wanderers. Most of us are also well aware of the skyrocketing rates of autism, and again wandering is a serious concern. But this bill will assist Federal, State, local, and tribal law enforcement in their efforts to help so many other individuals including victims of family abduction and victims of abduction for sexual exploitation. As the author of the first federal law to combat human trafficking, I am grateful that Mr.…”