1994 US Code
Title 42 - THE PUBLIC HEALTH AND WELFARE
CHAPTER 72 - JUVENILE JUSTICE AND DELINQUENCY PREVENTION
SUBCHAPTER IV - MISSING CHILDREN
Sec. 5776a - Missing and Exploited Children's Task Force

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§5776a. Missing and Exploited Children's Task Force (a) Establishment

There is established a Missing and Exploited Children's Task Force (referred to as the “Task Force”).

(b) Membership (1) In general

The Task Force shall include at least 2 members from each of—

(A) the Federal Bureau of Investigation;

(B) the Secret Service;

(C) the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms;

(D) the United States Customs Service;

(E) the Postal Inspection Service;

(F) the United States Marshals Service; and

(G) the Drug Enforcement Administration.

(2) Chief

A representative of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (in addition to the members of the Task Force selected under paragraph (1)(A)) shall act as chief of the Task Force.

(3) Selection

(A) The Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation shall select the chief of the Task Force.

(B) The heads of the agencies described in paragraph (1) shall submit to the chief of the Task Force a list of at least 5 prospective Task Force members, and the chief shall select 2, or such greater number as may be agreeable to an agency head, as Task Force members.

(4) Professional qualifications

The members of the Task Force shall be law enforcement personnel selected for their expertise that would enable them to assist in the investigation of cases of missing and exploited children.

(5) Status

A member of the Task Force shall remain an employee of his or her respective agency for all purposes (including the purpose of performance review), and his or her service on the Task Force shall be without interruption or loss of civil service privilege or status and shall be on a nonreimbursable basis.

(6) Period of service

(A) Subject to subparagraph (B), 1 member from each agency shall initially serve a 1-year term, and the other member from the same agency shall serve a 1-year term, and may be selected to a renewal of service for 1 additional year; thereafter, each new member to serve on the Task Force shall serve for a 2-year period with the member's term of service beginning and ending in alternate years with the other member from the same agency; the period of service for the chief of the Task Force shall be 3 years.

(B) The chief of the Task Force may at any time request the head of an agency described in paragraph (1) to submit a list of 5 prospective Task Force members to replace a member of the Task Force, for the purpose of maintaining a Task Force membership that will be able to meet the demands of its caseload.

(c) Support (1) In general

The Administrator of the General Services Administration, in coordination with the heads of the agencies described in subsection (b)(1) of this section, shall provide the Task Force office space and administrative and support services, such office space to be in close proximity to the office of the Center, so as to enable the Task Force to coordinate its activities with that of the Center on a day-to-day basis.

(2) Legal guidance

The Attorney General shall assign an attorney to provide legal guidance, as needed, to members of the Task Force.

(d) Purpose (1) In general

The purpose of the Task Force shall be to make available the combined resources and expertise of the agencies described in paragraph (1) 1 to assist State and local governments in the most difficult missing and exploited child cases nationwide, as identified by the chief of the Task Force from time to time, in consultation with the Center, and as many additional cases as resources permit, including the provision of assistance to State and local investigators on location in the field.

(2) Technical assistance

The role of the Task Force in any investigation shall be to provide advice and technical assistance and to make available the resources of the agencies described in subsection (b)(1) of this section; the Task Force shall not take a leadership role in any such investigation.

(e) Cross-designation of Task Force members

The Attorney General may cross-designate the members of the Task Force with jurisdiction to enforce Federal law related to child abduction to the extent necessary to accomplish the purposes of this section.

(Pub. L. 93–415, title IV, §407, as added Pub. L. 103–322, title XVII, §170303(2), Sept. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 2043.)

References in Text

The Center, referred to in subsecs. (c)(1) and (d)(1), means the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. See Purpose note set out below.

Prior Provisions

A prior section 407 of Pub. L. 93–415 was renumbered section 408 of Pub. L. 93–415 and is classified to section 5777 of this title.

Another prior section 407 of Pub. L. 93–415 was renumbered section 406 of Pub. L. 93–415 and is classified to section 5776 of this title.

Purpose

Section 170302 of title XVII of Pub. L. 103–322 provided that: “The purpose of this subtitle [subtitle C (§§170301–170303) of title XVII of Pub. L. 103–322, enacting this section, amending sections 5777 and 5778 of this title, and enacting provisions set out as a note under section 5601 of this title] is to establish a task force comprised of law enforcement officers from pertinent Federal agencies to work with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (referred to as the ‘Center’) and coordinate the provision of Federal law enforcement resources to assist State and local authorities in investigating the most difficult cases of missing and exploited children.”

1 So in original. Probably should be “subsection (b)(1) of this section”.