Missing Children's Assistance Act of 2018
Public Law 115-267 · S. 3354 · 115th Congress · began in the Senate
Signed by Donald Trump (R) on Oct 11, 2018 · Crime and Law Enforcement
Sponsor: Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA)
Cosponsors (9): Sen. Dianne Feinstein, Sen. Orrin Hatch,
Passage votes
- HouseUnanimous consent
- SenateUnanimous consent
Data notes
The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.
Summary
The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.
Missing Children's Assistance Act of 2018
(Sec. 2) This bill amends the Missing Children's Assistance Act:
• to revise the definition of "missing child" to mean an individual under 18 years of age whose whereabouts are unknown to the individual's parent (currently, legal custodian),
• to specify that a parent includes a legal guardian or an individual who functions as a parent (e.g., a grandparent),
• to revise the functions and duties of the National Center on Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), and
• to require the NCMEC to make publicly available the annual report on missing children and the incidence of attempted child abductions.
(Sec. 3) The bill reauthorizes through FY2023 the following:
• programs and activities for missing and exploited children, and
• audit requirements for grant recipients.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
Data notes
A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.
Related bills
3 bills the Library of Congress relates to this one.
H.R. 1808Related bill
Improving Support for Missing and Exploited Children Act of 2017
H.R. 4601Related bill
Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2017
S. 1312 · became Public Law 115-393Related bill
Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2017
Data notes
Related bills are identified by the Congressional Research Service, the House and the Senate: companion and identical bills, bills with similar text, bills that were folded into this law, and rules that brought it to the floor. A bill that is itself a public law in this site’s data links here; the others link to Congress.gov.
Timeline
From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 17 actions.
- Oct 11, 2018Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 115-267.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Oct 2, 2018FloorFloor · Presented to President.
- Sep 28, 2018FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- FloorFloor · On passage Passed without objection.
- FloorFloor · Considered by unanimous consent.
- FloorFloor · Mr. Guthrie asked unanimous consent to take from the Speaker's table and consider.
- FloorFloor · Held at the desk.
- FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
- FloorFloor · Received in the House.
- Sep 27, 2018FloorFloor · Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent.
- FloorFloor · Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent.
- Sep 18, 2018CalendarCalendar · Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 583.
- CommitteeCommittee · Committee on the Judiciary. Reported by Senator Grassley without amendment. Without written report.
- Sep 13, 2018CommitteeCommittee · Committee on the Judiciary. Ordered to be reported without amendment favorably.
- Aug 16, 2018CommitteeCommittee · Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. (Sponsor introductory remarks on measure: CR S5694)
- IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in Senate
Data notes
Every action the Library of Congress lists for the bill, from introduction to signing, plus the dated committee hearings. The source lists many steps twice (the chamber’s own entry and the Library of Congress copy, or a presidential and a became-law entry with the same words); those are shown once. Amendments are listed in their own section.
Amendments
1 amendment offered to the bill, with the last recorded step of each.
- Agreed to
S.Amdt. 4024SenateSen. Chuck GrassleyR-IA· offered Sep 27, 2018Agreed to
In the nature of a substitute.
Sep 27, 2018: Amendment SA 4024 agreed to in Senate by Unanimous Consent.
Data notes
Amendments offered to this bill in either chamber, as the Library of Congress records them: each with a status read from its last recorded step: agreed to, rejected, withdrawn, ruled out of order, fell with another amendment, or offered with no vote recorded (most Senate amendments are only ever offered). The wording of each amendment is the source’s. Amendments to amendments and amendments to other bills are not listed.
Official record
The bill’s full text is on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.