High Country Times

The House of Representatives has passed a bipartisan legislation aimed at supporting missing and exploited children. The legislation, known as the Missing Children’s Assistance Reauthorization Act of 2023, was authored by Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education Subcommittee Chairman Aaron Bean and Congressman Joe Courtney. The bill makes critical updates to help the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children better respond to crimes affecting children, support youth who are missing, and prevent child sexual exploitation and victimization.

Chairman Aaron Bean expressed his support for the bill, stating, “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.”

Congressman Joe Courtney emphasized the importance of the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, stating, “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.”

Chairwoman Foxx highlighted the significance of the bipartisan legislation, stating, “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.”

Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott expressed gratitude towards his colleagues for their efforts in introducing the bill, stating, “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.”

The Missing Children’s Assistance Reauthorization Act of 2023 aims to improve NCMEC’s ability to assist law enforcement in identifying, locating, and recovering missing and exploited children, develop educational materials to reduce the risk of child sex trafficking, provide support services to missing and exploited children and their families, and facilitate the removal of child sexual abuse material from the internet.

The passage of this legislation marks an important step in the fight to prevent child victimization, sexual exploitation, and abductions, demonstrating a commitment to protecting our nation’s most vulnerable children.