President Bush signed today a group of laws that will improve the safety of children, including bill that will expand the national Amber Alert system. U.S. Rep. Phil Gingrey will follow up tomorrow with further legislation to protect endangered children. 

“You don’t have to be a concerned parent to know how important it is to protect our most defenseless citizens,” Gingrey said. “I was proud to vote for the Amber Alert legislation, and now that President Bush has signed that into law, I’m particularly proud to play a leading role in introducing a bill that will aid endangered children.”

The House Committee on Education and the Workforce is working this week to strengthen programs for missing, runaway and exploited youth in preparation for the upcoming reauthorization of the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act and the Missing Children's Assistance Act. On Thursday, Gingrey plans to formally introduce legislation to build on the president's action by strengthening these initiatives.

The Missing Children’s Assistance Act coordinates with and supports law enforcement officials and families with locating and recovering missing and exploited children, including running a national 24-hour hotline and offering training and technical assistance. Programs authorized by the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act operate community-based programs that provide basic needs to runaway and homeless youth and their families, including shelter, food, clothing, health care and counseling. Both Acts also fund preventative and educational programs, leading efforts to reduce the numbers of at-risk children nationwide.