S. 557: A bill to encourage, enhance, and integrate Silver Alert plans throughout the United States, to authorize grants for the assistance of organizations to find missing adults, and for other purposes.

S. 557: A bill to encourage, enhance, and integrate Silver Alert plans throughout the United States, to authorize grants for the assistance of organizations to find missing adults, and for other purposes.

111th Congress · introduced 2009-03-10 · Crime and Law Enforcement · Latest: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2009-03-10 · official record
Who proposed it: Sen. Martinez, Mel [R-FL] · what a sponsor is
What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
Where it stands now: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

A bill to encourage, enhance, and integrate Silver Alert plans throughout the United States, to authorize grants for the assistance of organizations to find missing adults, and for other purposes.

Plain summary

National Silver Alert Act - Directs the Attorney General to: (1) establish a national Silver Alert communications network within the Department of Justice (DOJ) to assist regional and local search efforts for missing seniors; (2) assign a DOJ officer to serve as the Silver Alert Coordinator to coordinate the network with states; and (3) award grants to states for support of Silver Alert plans and the network. Defines "missing senior" as any individual who is reported as missing to or by a law enforcement agency and who meets state requirements for designation as a missing senior. Directs the Coordinator to: (1) establish minimum standards for the issuance and dissemination of alerts issued through the network; and (2) make available to states, local governments, law enforcement agencies, and other concerned entities network training and information. Authorizes the Attorney General to award grants to states and local governments to provide voluntary electronic monitoring services to elderly individuals (Sammy Kirk Voluntary Electronic Monitoring Program). Kristen's Act Reauthorization of 2009 - Directs the Attorney General to make competitive grants to public agencies and/or nonprofit private organizations to: (1) maintain a national resource center and database for tracking missing adults; and (2) provide assistance and to law enforcement agencies, families, and victim advocates in locating and recovering missing adults.

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

What a vote does

A “Yea” vote

If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.

A “Nay” vote

If it is not passed, current law stays as it is.

PSI Sci description of the legislative step (not an opinion).

What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

A bill to encourage, enhance, and integrate Silver Alert plans throughout the United States, to authorize grants for the assistance of organizations to find missing adults, and for other purposes.

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)

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Alternatives

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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Sen. Martinez, Mel [R-FL] · 11 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Charles E. Schumer (D-NY), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI)

No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.

Words on this page, explained (2)

Authorization: A law that creates or continues a government program and says what it may do, often with a suggested spending ceiling. An authorization alone does not provide money; a separate appropriation does.
Bill: A proposed law. It becomes law only if it passes the legislature and is signed by the president or governor (or a veto is overridden).

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)
Congress.gov
Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-111s557.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/111/s>

Record fed-us-cong111-s557 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong111 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong111