Current Status Introducing Body:House Bill Number:4244 Primary Sponsor:Graham Type of Legislation:CR Subject:Operation Child Alert Date Bill Passed both Bodies:19930527 Computer Document Number:JIC/6078SD.93 Introduced Date:19930526 Last History Body:House Last History Date:19930527 Last History Type:Received from Senate Scope of Legislation:Statewide All Sponsors:Graham T.C. Alexander G. Bailey Barber Baxley H. Brown Canty Carnell Cato Cooper Corning Cromer Davenport Delleney Elliott Fair Farr Gamble Govan Hallman Harrell Harrison Harvin Harwell Holt Hutson Inabinett Kelley Keyserling Klauber Koon Law Mattos McAbee McTeer Meacham Moody-Lawrence Neilson Phillips Rogers Rudnick Sharpe Shissias Simrill D. Smith R. Smith Spearman Stille Stone Stuart Sturkie Thomas Trotter Tucker Waites Wells Whipper Wilkes Wofford A. Young R. Young Type of Legislation:Concurrent Resolution
Bill Body Date Action Description CMN Leg Involved
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4244 House 19930527 Received from Senate
4244 Senate 19930527 Introduced, adopted, returned
with concurrence
4244 House 19930527 Adopted, sent to Senate
4244 House 19930527 Committee Report: Favorable 24
4244 House 19930526 Introduced, referred to 24
Committee
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TO COMMEND THE ORGANIZATIONS AND AGENCIES INVOLVED IN "OPERATION CHILD ALERT" IN SOUTH CAROLINA FOR THEIR EFFORTS IN ATTEMPTING TO HELP PROMPTLY RECOVER CHILDREN UNDER THE AGE OF TWELVE WHO ARE ABDUCTED OR ARE OTHERWISE MISSING UNDER SUSPICIOUS OR UNLAWFUL CIRCUMSTANCES, AND TO MEMORIALIZE THE FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION TO ALLOW "OPERATION CHILD ALERT" TO BECOME PART OF THE EMERGENCY BROADCASTING SYSTEM, THEREBY GIVING NATIONAL EXPOSURE TO THESE CASES.
Whereas, in South Carolina several hundred children under the age of twelve are abducted or become missing each year under unexplained circumstances and nationally this unfortunate figure runs into the thousands; and
Whereas, because of this terrible problem a group of concerned organizations and agencies in South Carolina joined together to form "Operation Child Alert"; and
Whereas, the South Carolina Sheriffs Association, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Officers Association, the South Carolina Solicitors Association, the State Law Enforcement Division, the Governor's Office of Public Safety, the Office of Emergency Preparedness, and the South Carolina Broadcasters Association, developed this program through cooperative effort to assist in the prompt recovery of these children; and
Whereas, under Operation Child Alert if a child is reported missing and has no history of being a runaway and where there is no apparent domestic dispute involved, the local police agency having jurisdiction of the case promptly contacts SLED. SLED immediately transmits a message to all members of the South Carolina Broadcasters Association of the fact that this child is missing. The participating broadcasters then try to get on the air within a matter of minutes a bulletin that this child is missing with appropriate descriptions of the child and other vital information because the first few hours are very critical in the successful recovery of these children; and
Whereas, the citizens of this State owe a special debt of gratitude to each of these fine agencies or organizations for their fine efforts in this endeavor, to SLED and Chief Robert Stewart for volunteering to be the coordinating agency to activate this system, and to the broadcasters of South Carolina who have agreed to treat these matters as high priorities; and
Whereas, the General Assembly also calls upon the Federal Communications Commission to allow Operation Child Alert and other similar programs throughout the United States to become part of the Emergency Broadcasting System, thereby giving national coverage to the fact that these children have been abducted or are otherwise missing under suspicious circumstances. Now, therefore,
Be it resolved by the House of Representatives, the Senate concurring:
That the members of the General Assembly hereby commend the organizations and agencies involved in "Operation Child Alert" in South Carolina for their efforts in attempting to help promptly recover children under the age of twelve who are abducted or are otherwise missing under suspicious or unlawful circumstances.
Be it further resolved that the members of the General Assembly hereby memorialize the Federal Communications Commission to allow "Operation Child Alert" to become part of the emergency broadcasting system thereby giving national exposure to these cases.
Be it further resolved that a copy of this resolution be forwarded to the South Carolina Sheriffs Association, South Carolina Law Enforcement Officers Association, South Carolina Solicitors Association, State Law Enforcement Division, Governor's Office of Public Safety, the Office of Emergency Preparedness, South Carolina Broadcasters Association, and Federal Communications Commission.