{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.manchin.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/manchin-cornyn-introduce-skylars-law-to-save-children-like-skylar-neese-", "MANCHIN, CORNYN INTRODUCE SKYLAR\u2019S LAW TO SAVE CHILDREN LIKE SKYLAR NEESE", "2017-12-07", "2017", "2017-12", "Democrat", "House", "WV", "Joe Manchin", "M001183", "www.manchin.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "December 07, 2017\n\t\t\t MANCHIN, CORNYN INTRODUCE SKYLAR\u2019S LAW TO SAVE CHILDREN LIKE SKYLAR NEESE  \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWashington, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senators Joe Manchin (D-WV) and John Cornyn (R-TX) today introduced \u201cSkylar\u2019s Law,\u201d which will establish a national endangered missing advisory (EMA) communications network to enable immediate public notification for missing child cases that do not meet the strict criteria for issuance of an AMBER Alert system.\r\nIn July of 2012, sixteen-year-old Skylar Neese went missing from her home in Morgantown, West Virginia. Even though Skylar\u2019s parents were immediately alarmed at their daughter\u2019s absence and insisted that Skylar would not have left home voluntarily, no AMBER Alert was issued at the time of Skylar\u2019s disappearance because her case did not meet the strict criteria for issuance of an AMBER alert.\u00a0 Skylar was later found to have been murdered by two of her friends, and her case gained national attention. The SKYLAR Act would assist law enforcement officers nationwide in issuing immediate public notifications to help locate missing individuals like Skylar whose cases do not meet the strict criteria for an AMBER Alert but are still at risk of serious injury or death.\r\n\u201cWhat Skylar went through and what her family is dealing with is unconscionable and it\u2019s something that I will do whatever I can to prevent from happening ever again,\u201d Senator Manchin said. \u201cI have been working with Skylar\u2019s parents on \u201cSkylar\u2019s Law\u201d which would establish a national communications network to issue immediate public notifications for missing individuals like Skylar whose cases do not meet the strict criteria for an AMBER Alert but are still at serious risk. \u201cSkylar\u2019s Law\u201d is a no brainer and I hope my colleagues see this legislation and hear Skylar\u2019s story and swiftly pass this bill.\u201d\u00a0\r\n\u201cWhile AMBER alerts have been successful in bringing missing children home, there are still missing persons who do not meet the alerts\u2019 strict criteria but whose cases warrant an immediate public alert,\u201d said Sen. Cornyn. \u201cI am proud to join Senator Manchin on Skylar\u2019s Law which will create a national communications network that can be activated immediately so our law enforcement officers can access timely information to help solve these cases.\u201d\r\n\u201cI want to thank Senator Manchin for his hard work and staying on top of this. This is not a Democrat or Republican issue. This about our kids; protecting our kids. Anytime a child goes missing, it\u2019s the most helpless feeling in the world and I don\u2019t want anyone to have to go through what we went through. With the introduction of \u2018Skylar\u2019s Law,\u201d we can help children and other parents,\u201d said Dave Neese, Skylar\u2019s father.\r\nThe AMBER Alert system has succeeded beyond all expectations, and is credited with directly aiding the safe recovery of approximately 75 children every year.\u00a0 However, issuance of the AMBER Alerts requires satisfaction of strict criteria\u2014including evidence of abduction.\u00a0 In most cases, such evidence is usually not present, especially in the critical first few hours of the case. Immediate public notification is critical. More than two-thirds of all child abduction homicides began as a missing child or runaway report, and one out of five child abduction homicide victims are already dead before police are even notified.\u00a0 Yet states are understandably wary of issuing AMBER alerts absent clear evidence of abduction, in order to avoid dulling the public response.\r\nThis bill establishes a national Endangered Missing Advisory (EMA) communications network, modeled after state-wide networks already in operation in states like Montana and California, which can be activated immediately to notify the public that a child has gone missing.\r\n \r\nCOORDINATED: Much like the AMBER Alert network, the national EMA network would be overseen by a coordinator who works closely with states, law enforcement agencies, local governments, and AMBER Alert professionals to develop EMA plans and act as the network\u2019s nationwide point of contact.\u00a0 The Coordinator would establish voluntary minimum standards for the issuance of alerts through the network and ensure that state and local law enforcement agencies and communications personnel are trained to utilize it.\r\n \r\n \r\nVOLUNTARY: The EMA system only works when it\u2019s voluntary for both states and communications network participants, and this bill would preserve the voluntary nature of the system.\u00a0 Recent trends are positive \u2013 in 2005, only 5 states had EMA networks in place.\u00a0 Now, 18 states have such networks, plus another 16 who have similar networks in place for missing seniors.\r\n \r\n\u00a0\r\n###\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tNext Article\n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.manchin.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/manchin-cornyn-introduce-skylars-law-to-save-children-like-skylar-neese-"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.5817740932106972, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}