---
kind: "section"
citation: "34 U.S.C. § 20503"
title: "34"
title_heading: "Crime Control and Law Enforcement"
number: "20503"
heading: "Grant program for notification and communications systems along highways and major transportation routes for recovery of abducted children"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/34/20503"
units:
  - "Subtitle II — Protection of Children and Other Persons"
  - "Chapter 205 — Amber Alert"
---

# §20503. Grant program for notification and communications systems along highways and major transportation routes for recovery of abducted children

- (a) **Program required—** The Secretary of Transportation (referred to in this section as the “Secretary”) shall carry out a program to provide grants to [States](/usc/34/21701.md?p=3) 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.
- (b) **Development grants—**
  - (1) **In general—** The Secretary may make a grant to a [State](/usc/34/21701.md?p=3) under this subsection for the development of a [State](/usc/34/21701.md?p=3) 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](/usc/34/21701.md?p=3) 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) **Eligible activities—** A grant under this subsection may be used by a [State](/usc/34/21701.md?p=3) 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](/usc/34/21701.md?p=3), 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.
- (c) **Implementation grants—**
  - (1) **In general—** The Secretary may make a grant to a [State](/usc/34/21701.md?p=3) 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](/usc/34/21701.md?p=3) shall be eligible for a grant under this subsection if the Secretary determines that the [State](/usc/34/21701.md?p=3) has developed a [State](/usc/34/21701.md?p=3) program in accordance with [subsection (b)](#b).
  - (2) **Eligible activities—** A grant under this subsection may be used by a [State](/usc/34/21701.md?p=3) 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.
- (d) **Federal share—**
  - (1) **In general—** Except as provided in [paragraph (2)](#d-2), the Federal share of the cost of any activities funded by a grant under this section may not exceed 80 percent.
  - (2) **Waiver—** 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)](#d-1), the Secretary shall waive such requirement.
- (e) **Distribution of grant amounts—** The Secretary shall, to the maximum extent practicable, distribute grants under this section equally among the [States](/usc/34/21701.md?p=3) that apply for a grant under this section within the time period prescribed by the Secretary.
- (f) **Administration—** The Secretary shall prescribe requirements, including application requirements, for the receipt of grants under this section.
- (g) **Definition—** In this chapter, the term “[State](/usc/34/21701.md?p=3)” means any of the 50 [States](/usc/34/21701.md?p=3), 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) **Authorization of appropriations—** 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.
- (i) **Study of State programs—**
  - (1) **Study—** The Secretary shall conduct a study to examine [State](/usc/34/21701.md?p=3) barriers to the adoption and implementation of [State](/usc/34/21701.md?p=3) programs for the use of communications systems along highways for alerts and other information for the recovery of abducted children.
  - (2) **Report—** 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.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 108–21, title III, § 303, Apr. 30, 2003, 117 Stat. 662; Pub. L. 116–283, div. H, title C, § 10001(b)(1), Jan. 1, 2021, 134 Stat. 4861.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Codification

Section was formerly classified to section 5791b of Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare, prior to editorial reclassification and renumbering as this section.

### Amendments

2021—Pub. L. 116–283, § 10001(b)(1)(A), inserted “and major transportation routes” after “along highways” in section catchline.

Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 116–283, § 10001(b)(1)(B), inserted “(referred to in this section as the ‘Secretary’)” after “Secretary of Transportation” and “and at airports, maritime ports, border crossing areas and checkpoints, and ports of exit from the United States” after “along highways”.

Subsec. (b)(1). Pub. L. 116–283, § 10001(b)(1)(C)(i), substituted “other information systems to notify motorists, aircraft passengers, ship passengers, and travelers” for “other motorist information systems to notify motorists” and inserted “, aircraft passengers, ship passengers, and travelers” after “necessary to notify motorists”.

Subsec. (b)(2)(A). Pub. L. 116–283, § 10001(b)(1)(C)(ii)(I), substituted “other information systems to notify motorists, aircraft passengers, ship passengers, and travelers” for “other motorist information systems to notify motorists”.

Subsec. (b)(2)(D). Pub. L. 116–283, § 10001(b)(1)(C)(ii)(II), inserted “, aircraft passengers, ship passengers, and travelers” after “support the notification of motorists”.

Subsec. (b)(2)(E). Pub. L. 116–283, § 10001(b)(1)(C)(ii)(III), inserted “, aircraft passengers, ship passengers, and travelers” after “motorists” in two places.

Subsec. (b)(2)(F), (G). Pub. L. 116–283, § 10001(b)(1)(C)(ii)(IV), (V), inserted “, aircraft passengers, ship passengers, and travelers” after “motorists”.

Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 116–283, § 10001(b)(1)(D), substituted “other information systems to notify motorists, aircraft passengers, ship passengers, and travelers” for “other motorist information systems” in two places.

Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 116–283, § 10001(b)(1)(E), amended subsec. (d) generally. Prior to amendment, text read as follows: “The Federal share of the cost of any activities funded by a grant under this section may not exceed 80 percent.”

Subsec. (g). Pub. L. 116–283, § 10001(b)(1)(F), substituted “In this chapter” for “In this section” and “American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, the Northern Mariana Islands, the Virgin Islands of the United States, and any other territory of the United States” for “or Puerto Rico”.

Subsec. (h). Pub. L. 116–283, § 10001(b)(1)(G), substituted “each of fiscal years 2019 through 2023” for “fiscal year 2004”.