House Adopts Congresswoman Gwen Moore's Amendment to the Fy 2022 National Defense Authorization Bill (H.r. 4350) to Establish a Federal Program to Support State Green Alert Systems to Locate Missing Veterans
Press Release
House Adopts Congresswoman Gwen Moore's Amendment to the FY 2022 National Defense Authorization Bill (H.R. 4350) to Establish a Federal Program to Support State Green Alert Systems to Locate Missing Veterans
In the 116th Congress, Congresswoman Moore introduced the Corey Adams Searchlight Act, named after her constituent, Corey Adams, who was a combat veteran dedicated to serving his country. He later went missing. 8 days went by before the police department determined he met the criteria for a critically missing person. Eighteen days after he went missing, he was found in local park about a mile from his family home. Following his tragic loss, Wisconsin became the first state to establish a green alert system and has since been joined by Delaware, Texas, and Tennessee. Her amendment was included in the House-passed National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).
"Members of our military and veterans make tremendous sacrifices to keep each of us safe. When an active duty servicemember or veteran goes missing, we must ensure we have the tools to act quickly to protect their safety and wellbeing.
My amendment, named after my constituent, Corey Adams, who was a veteran and served in Afghanistan. Corey was moved to his parent's home in Milwaukee. In March 2017, he went missing was later recovered eighteen days later.
Corey would have turned 50 years old this Sunday. We will always cherish his memory and his service to our country. I want to help prevent another tragedy, so that no other family has to mourn. My amendment would require the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs to provide support to state and local officials in states that already have green alert systems, such as Wisconsin, or which are considering implementing such systems. For example, these agencies would provide support on creating systems that protect the privacy of missing servicemembers or veterans, training law enforcement on how to interact with missing servicemembers or veterans, or could provide support connecting missing veterans who have been located with any available DOD or VA services and benefits they have earned. House passage of this amendment brings us one step closer to securing crucial resources that can help our heroes."
H.R. 4350 passed the House on September 23, 2021 and is now pending in the Senate. Congresswoman Moore will be working hard to ensure that the final version of this legislation agreed to by each chamber includes this language.
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