National Blue Alert Act of 2010 - Directs the Attorney General to: (1) establish a national Blue Alert communications network within the Department of Justice (DOJ) to disseminate information when a law enforcement officer is seriously injured or killed in the line of duty; (2) assign a DOJ officer to act as the national coordinator of the Blue Alert communications network; and (3) provide grants to states for the development or enhancement of programs and activities to support Blue Alert plans and the Blue Alert communications network. Sets forth the duties of the national coordinator, including working with states to develop additional Blue Alert plans in the network, establishing voluntary guidelines for states in developing Blue Alert plans, developing protocols for efforts to apprehend suspects, and establishing an advisory group to assist states, local governments, law enforcement agencies, and other entities in initiating, facilitating, and promoting Blue Alert plans.
[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6235 Introduced in House (IH)]
111th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 6235
To encourage, enhance, and integrate Blue Alert plans throughout the
United States in order to disseminate information when a law
enforcement officer is seriously injured or killed in the line of duty.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
September 28, 2010
Mr. McMahon (for himself, Mr. Hoyer, Mr. Cummings, Mr. Hall of New
York, Mr. Patrick J. Murphy of Pennsylvania, Mrs. Maloney, Ms.
Bordallo, Mrs. Christensen, Mr. Faleomavaega, and Mr. Pierluisi)
introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on
the Judiciary
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To encourage, enhance, and integrate Blue Alert plans throughout the
United States in order to disseminate information when a law
enforcement officer is seriously injured or killed in the line of duty.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``National Blue Alert Act of 2010''.
SEC. 2. BLUE ALERT COMMUNICATIONS NETWORK.
The Attorney General shall, subject to the availability of
appropriations pursuant to section 6, establish a national Blue Alert
communications network within the Department of Justice to disseminate
information when a law enforcement officer is seriously injured or
killed in the line of duty through the initiation, facilitation, and
promotion of local elements of the network (known as Blue Alert plans)
in coordination with States, units of local government, law enforcement
agencies, and other appropriate entities.
SEC. 3. BLUE ALERT COORDINATOR; GUIDELINES.
(a) Coordination Within Department of Justice.--The Attorney
General shall assign an officer of the Department of Justice to act as
the national coordinator of the Blue Alert communications network. The
officer so designated shall be known as the Blue Alert Coordinator of
the Department of Justice (referred to in this Act as the
``Coordinator'').
(b) Duties of the Coordinator.--In acting as the national
coordinator of the Blue Alert communications network, the Coordinator
shall--
(1) work with States to encourage the development of
additional Blue Alert plans in the network;
(2) establish voluntary guidelines for States to use in
developing Blue Alert plans that will promote compatible and
integrated Blue Alert plans throughout the United States,
including--
(A) a list of the resources necessary to establish
a Blue Alert plan;
(B) criteria for evaluating whether a situation
warrants issuing a Blue Alert;
(C) guidelines to protect the privacy, dignity,
independence, and autonomy of any law enforcement
officer who may be the subject of a Blue Alert or
family of such law enforcement officer;
(D) guidelines that, before a Blue Alert is issued
and with respect to a law enforcement officer who is
seriously injured or killed in the line of duty--
(i) the law enforcement agency involved
confirms the death, injury, or attack on of the
law enforcement officer;
(ii) there is an indication of serious
injury to or death of the law enforcement
officer;
(iii) the suspect involved has not been
apprehended; and
(iv) there is sufficient descriptive
information of the suspect involved and any
relevant vehicle and tag numbers;
(E) guidelines--
(i) that information related to a law
enforcement officer who is seriously injured or
killed in the line of duty would be provided to
the National Crime Information Center database
operated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation
pursuant to section 534 of title 28, United
States Code, and any relevant crime information
repository of the State involved;
(ii) that a Blue Alert would be, to the
maximum extent practicable (as determined by
the Coordinator in consultation with State and
local law enforcement agencies) limited to the
geographic areas most likely to facilitate the
apprehension of the suspect involved or which
such suspect could reasonably reach, but not
limited to State lines;
(iii) for State law enforcement agencies to
develop plans to communicate information to
neighboring States to provide for seamless
communication of Blue Alert; and
(iv) providing that a Blue Alert will be
suspended when the suspect involved is
apprehended or when the law enforcement agency
involved determines that the Blue Alert is no
longer effective; and
(F) guidelines for--
(i) the issuance of alerts through the Blue
Alert communications network; and
(ii) the extent of the dissemination of
alerts issued through the network;
(3) develop proposed protocols for efforts to apprehend
suspects, including protocols that are needed from the time of
the initial notification of a law enforcement agency that a
suspect has not been apprehended through the time of
apprehension of a suspect or when the law enforcement agency
involved determines that the Blue Alert is no longer effective,
including--
(A) public safety communications;
(B) command center operations; and
(C) incident review, evaluation, debriefing, and
public information procedures;
(4) work with States to ensure appropriate regional
coordination of various elements of the network;
(5) establish an advisory group to assist States, units of
local government, law enforcement agencies, and other entities
involved in the Blue Alert communications network with
initiating, facilitating, and promoting Blue Alert plans, which
shall include--
(A) to the maximum extent practicable,
representation from the various geographic regions of
the United States; and
(B) members who are--
(i) representatives of law enforcement
organizations, law enforcement agencies, and
public safety communications,
(ii) broadcasters, first responders,
dispatchers, and radio station personnel; and
(iii) representatives of any other
individuals or organizations that the
Coordinator determines are necessary to the
success of the Blue Alert communications
network; and
(6) act as the nationwide point of contact for--
(A) the development of the network; and
(B) regional coordination of alerts through the
network for law enforcement officers who are seriously
injured or killed in the line of duty.
(c) Limitations Applicable to Guidelines and Other Duties.--In
establishing the guidelines and carrying out other duties under
subsection (b), the following shall apply:
(1) Voluntary participation.--The guidelines established
under paragraph (2) of such subsection, protocols developed
under paragraph (3) of such subsection, and other programs
established under such subsection, shall be adoptable by a
State on a voluntary basis only.
(2) Dissemination of information.--The guidelines shall, to
the maximum extent practicable (as determined by the
Coordinator in consultation with State and local law
enforcement agencies), provide that appropriate information
relating to a wounding assault or fatal injury on a law
enforcement officer is disseminated to the appropriate law
enforcement, public health, and other public officials.
(3) Privacy and civil liberties protections.--The
guidelines shall--
(A) ensure that alerts issued through the Blue
Alert communications network comply with all applicable
Federal, State, and local privacy laws and regulations;
and
(B) include standards that specifically provide for
the protection of the civil liberties, including the
privacy, of law enforcement officers who are seriously
injured or killed in the line of duty and the families
of such officers.
(d) Cooperation With Other Agencies.--The Coordinator shall
cooperate with the Secretary of Homeland Security, the Secretary of
Transportation, the Federal Communications Commission, and appropriate
offices of the Department of Justice in carrying out activities under
this Act.
(e) Reports.--Not later than one year after the date of the
enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter, the Coordinator shall
submit to Congress a report on the activities of the Coordinator and
the effectiveness and status of the Blue Alert plans of each State that
has established or is in the process of establishing such a plan.
SEC. 4. GRANT PROGRAM FOR SUPPORT OF BLUE ALERT PLANS.
(a) Grant Program.--Subject to the availability of appropriations
to carry out this section, the Attorney General shall carry out a
program to provide grants to States for the development or enhancement
of programs and activities for the support of Blue Alert plans and the
Blue Alert communications network.
(b) Activities.--Activities funded by grants under the program
under subsection (a) may include--
(1) the development and implementation of education and
training programs, and associated materials, relating to Blue
Alert plans;
(2) the development and implementation of law enforcement
programs, and associated equipment, relating to Blue Alert
plans;
(3) the development and implementation of new technologies
to improve Blue Alert communications; and
(4) such other activities as the Attorney General considers
appropriate for supporting the Blue Alert communications
network.
(c) Federal Share.--The Federal share of the cost of any activities
funded by a grant under the program under subsection (a) may not exceed
50 percent.
(d) Distribution of Grant Amounts on Geographic Basis.--The
Attorney General shall, to the maximum extent practicable, ensure the
distribution of grants under the program under subsection (a) on an
equitable basis throughout the various regions of the United States.
(e) Administration.--The Attorney General shall prescribe
requirements, including application requirements, for grants under the
program under subsection (a).
SEC. 5. DEFINITION.
For purposes of this Act, the term ``State'' means each of the 50
States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the
United States Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of
the Northern Mariana Islands, and any federally recognized Indian
tribe.
SEC. 6. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
(a) In General.--There is authorized to be appropriated such sums
as may be necessary to carry out this Act (other than for purposes
described in subparagraph (A) or (B) of subsection (b)(1)).
(b) Grant Funding.--
(1) In general.--There is authorized to be appropriated for
fiscal year 2011--
(A) $5,000,000 for grants under section 4; and
(B) an additional $5,000,000 for such grants to
carry out activities described in section 4(b)(3).
(2) Availability of funds.--Amounts appropriated pursuant
to paragraph (1) shall remain available until expended.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security.
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