New South Politics

WASHINGTON – Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education Subcommittee Chairman Aaron Bean (R-FL) and Congressman Joe Courtney (D-CT), a senior member of the Committee, introduced H.R. 5224, the Missing Children’s Assistance Reauthorization Act of 2023. This bipartisan legislation renews the Missing Children’s Assistance Act (MCAA) and makes critical updates to help the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) better support youth who are missing, to reduce child sexual exploitation, and to prevent child victimization.

“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. Time is a critical factor in the search and recovery effort, and this bill will modernize the reporting system, so law enforcement can more efficiently find missing persons and bring closure to countless families to ensure the NCMEC can continue their critical mission to help find missing children, reduce child sexual exploitation, and prevent child victimization,” said Chairman Bean.
 
“The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children has served as a lifeline for children and their families. By introducing the Missing Children’s Assistance Reauthorization Act of 2023, we are ensuring the Center has the resources it needs to continue protecting children and supporting families, which is particularly important today as more children are falling victim to predatory online practices. I applaud the Senate’s swift action on this bill and am eager to work with Congressman Bean to advance this bill in the House,” said Congressman Courtney.  

BACKGROUND: 
 
The MCAA was enacted in 1984 to provide federal coordination of state and local efforts to recover and support missing and exploited children. It has been reauthorized and amended multiple times, most recently by the Missing Children’s Assistance Act of 2018. The MCAA directs the Department of Justice’s Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention to establish a national resource center to carry out many of the objectives of the MCAA. NCMEC, a nonprofit organization headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia, has served as the national resource center since enactment of the MCAA in 1984. In 2022, NCMEC assisted law enforcement, families, and child welfare agencies with 27,644 cases of missing children and recovered the child in 88 percent of those cases.
 
Specifically, the Missing Children’s Assistance Reauthorization Act of 2023 improves NCMEC’s ability to:

• Assist law enforcement to identify, locate, and recover missing and exploited children;
• Develop educational materials to reduce the risk of child sex trafficking, online enticement, sexual extortion, and cyberbullying
• Provide education and technical assistance on conducting background checks on individuals working with children;
• Offer support services to missing and exploited children and their families; and
• Facilitate requests to have child sexual abuse material removed from the internet.

GAINESVILLE, FL – Today, Congresswoman Kat Cammack (FL-03) announced a second ‘Assistance To Firefighters’ Grant (AFG) award for Gainesville Fire Rescue (GFR) from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The department will receive $184,114.28 to improve its operations and safety, supplementing the $47,122 granted in mid-June.

The Assistance to Firefighters Grant is one of three grant programs administered by DHS and FEMA to enhance the safety of the public and firefighters with respect to fire and related hazards.

“I’m glad to see another Assistance to Firefighters Grant awarded here in North Central Florida,” said Congresswoman Cammack. “Our departments work hard to keep our communities safe and we will continue to support them to ensure they have the resources necessary to do their jobs safely.”

“This is another win for our department, the City’s leadership team, and the community served. Thank you, Congresswoman Cammack, for standing up for the interests of first responders,” said GFR Chief Joseph Dixon.

Thus far, Gainesville Fire Rescue, Alachua County Fire Rescue, and Lake City Fire Department have received AFG awards in 2023.

In FY 2020, the AFG program administered nearly $320 million in competitive grants to eligible applicants whose awards will best address the priorities of the AFG program.

The Office of Congresswoman Kat Cammack offers information on federal grant programs available to communities in Florida’s Third Congressional District. To learn more, visit cammack.house.gov or contact the Gainesville District Office at 352-505-0838.

Below is a press release from Florida Congressman Neal Dunn.

PANAMA CITY, FL – Today, Congressman Neal Dunn, M.D. (Florida-02) visited the Bay County Emergency Operations Center (EOC) to survey efforts to clean up debris and downed trees from Hurricane Michael. The public-private partnership between Bay County and Team Rubicon aims to not only remove the hazardous debris fueling local wildfires but also to serve as a training opportunity and provide hurricane mitigation.

“Bay County’s road to recovery has been a long one, and it’s far from done. But we are getting there, step by step,” said Congressman Dunn. “I’m grateful to Bay County officials and veteran-led Team Rubicon for teaming up to take another important step forward. This partnership proves that we are unstoppable when our community rallies together. I hope to see more partnerships like this in the future.”

“Team Rubicon has been committed to Bay County’s recovery ever since Hurricane Michael. Yet again, we’re so grateful for the opportunity to partner with this wonderful organization for the betterment of our community even now, five years later,” Bay County Commissioner Doug Moore said. “The work the team will do this weekend to clear acres of downed trees and bush in the vicinity of the Emergency Operations Center will make important progress on hurricane and fire mitigation for our facility while also providing an important training opportunity for Team Rubicon.”

“These folks are the real deal,” Moore continued. “They come into a community when disaster strikes and do amazing work in the immediate aftermath, but they are also in it for the long haul. This is the team you want when the worst happens, and we are so thankful for their continued support.”

“Team Rubicon is a veteran-led humanitarian organization that serves global communities before, during, and after disasters and crises. Like many communities still reeling from the long-term effects of hurricanes like Michael, we will be working with our partners in Bay County to help mitigate future fire risks by clearing downed trees and brush. This will also give our local volunteers, known as ‘Greyshirts,’ the opportunity to sharpen core skills necessary to respond to the needs created by the rising frequency of billion-dollar disasters and long-term recovery that follows,” said the Team Rubicon South Branch Director of Operations Sean Walker.

Congressman Dunn has been at the forefront of the Hurricane Michael recovery effort since day one. He fought for millions of dollars for block grants to aid timber producers after Hurricane Michael caused more than $3 billion in agricultural losses and devasted the timber industry. Additionally, Congressman Dunn continues to fight to ensure local governments are reimbursed for interest expenses related to Hurricane Michael’s cleanup.