While referencing the Oscar-nominated film Killers of the Flower Moon, Federal Communications Commission Chairwoman Rosenworcel introduced a proposal for a new event code within the Emergency Alert System aimed at enhancing the search for missing and endangered adults.
This Notice of Proposed Rulemaking complements ongoing efforts by the National Congress of American Indians, the Department of the Interior, and the Department of Justice.
This initiative, aligning with the objectives of the Ashanti Alert Act, would introduce a “Missing and Endangered Persons” event code, enabling law enforcement agencies to issue alerts similar to the AMBER Alerts used for abducted children.
This new code, referred to as “MEP,” is designed to assist particularly in cases involving missing native and indigenous women, amplifying efforts to locate them.
The proposal seeks public input on establishing the MEP code to alert the public about missing and endangered individuals who don’t qualify for AMBER Alerts. It also examines how this new alert category could interact with the Wireless Emergency Alert system, which operates differently from the Emergency Alert System by not utilizing event codes.
This Notice of Proposed Rulemaking complements ongoing efforts by the National Congress of American Indians, the Department of the Interior, and the Department of Justice to
The commission unanimously approved the proposal.
Chairwoman Rosenworcel remarked, “I want to thank the National Congress of American Indians for their work to pass a resolution to support the Commission establishing this new code. I want to acknowledge the efforts of members of Congress who have brought attention to this issue, including Senators Luján, Schatz, Daines, Tester, Murkowski, and Cortez Masto.”
“Our work also owes a debt of gratitude to Native Public Media for bringing this issue to our attention. So a big thank you to Loris Taylor of Native Public Media who so said in letter to us ‘that by working collaboratively, we can make meaningful strides in addressing the challenges posed by the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons crises and enhance the safety and well-being of Indigenous peoples, and American people in general.’ I agree. Our work here may not have the glamour of the Oscar ceremony, but it is absolutely essential because it can help save lives.”
