§ 20503 — Grant Program For Notification And Communications Systems Along Highways And Major Transportation Routes For Recovery Of Abducted Children

(a) The Secretary of Transportation (referred to in this section as the “Secretary”) shall carry out a program to provide grants to States for the development or enhancement of notification or communications systems along highways and at airports, maritime ports, border crossing areas and checkpoints, and ports of exit from the United States for alerts and other information for the recovery of abducted children. (1) The Secretary may make a grant to a State under this subsection for the development of a State program for the use of changeable message signs or other information systems to notify motorists, aircraft passengers, ship passengers, and travelers about abductions of children. The State program shall provide for the planning, coordination, and design of systems, protocols, and message sets that support the coordination and communication necessary to notify motorists, aircraft passengers, ship passengers, and travelers about abductions of children. (2) A grant under this subsection may be used by a State for the following purposes: (A) To develop general policies and procedures to guide the use of changeable message signs or other information systems to notify motorists, aircraft passengers, ship passengers, and travelers about abductions of children. (B) To develop guidance or policies on the content and format of alert messages to be conveyed on changeable message signs or other traveler information systems. (C) To coordinate State, regional, and local plans for the use of changeable message signs or other transportation related issues. (D) To plan secure and reliable communications systems and protocols among public safety and transportation agencies or modify existing communications systems to support the notification of motorists, aircraft passengers, ship passengers, and travelers about abductions of children. (E) To plan and design improved systems for communicating with motorists, aircraft passengers, ship passengers, and travelers, including the capability for issuing wide area alerts to motorists, aircraft passengers, ship passengers, and travelers. (F) To plan systems and protocols to facilitate the efficient issuance of child abduction notification and other key information to motorists, aircraft passengers, ship passengers, and travelers during off-hours. (G) To provide training and guidance to transportation authorities to facilitate appropriate use of changeable message signs and other traveler information systems for the notification of motorists, aircraft passengers, ship passengers, and travelers about abductions of children. (1) The Secretary may make a grant to a State under this subsection for the implementation of a program for the use of changeable message signs or other information systems to notify motorists, aircraft passengers, ship passengers, and travelers about abductions of children. A State shall be eligible for a grant under this subsection if the Secretary determines that the State has developed a State program in accordance with subsection (b). (2) A grant under this subsection may be used by a State to support the implementation of systems that use changeable message signs or other information systems to notify motorists, aircraft passengers, ship passengers, and travelers about abductions of children. Such support may include the purchase and installation of changeable message signs or other information systems to notify motorists, aircraft passengers, ship passengers, and travelers about abductions of children. (1) Except as provided in paragraph (2), the Federal share of the cost of any activities funded by a grant under this section may not exceed 80 percent. (2) If the Secretary determines that American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, or the Virgin Islands of the United States is unable to comply with the requirement under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall waive such requirement. (e) The Secretary shall, to the maximum extent practicable, distribute grants under this section equally among the States that apply for a grant under this section within the time period prescribed by the Secretary. (f) The Secretary shall prescribe requirements, including application requirements, for the receipt of grants under this section. (g) In this chapter, the term “State” means any of the 50 States, the District of Columbia, American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, the Northern Mariana Islands, the Virgin Islands of the United States, and any other territory of the United States. (h) There is authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary to carry out this section $20,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2019 through 2023. Such amounts shall remain available until expended. (1) The Secretary shall conduct a study to examine State barriers to the adoption and implementation of State programs for the use of communications systems along highways for alerts and other information for the recovery of abducted children. (2) Not later than 1 year after April 30, 2003, the Secretary shall transmit to Congress a report on the results of the study, together with any recommendations the Secretary determines appropriate.