Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to create the Missing and Endangered Persons (MEP) alert code for the Emergency Alert System (EAS).

On March 14, 2024, The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to create the Missing and Endangered Persons (MEP) alert code for the Emergency Alert System (EAS). This proposed MEP event code would address missing adults ages 18 - 64 who fall outside of the event codes for AMBER and Silver alerts. The Not Invisible Act Commision and the National Congress of American Indians have recommended that New alerts be created to help address the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Peoples crisis facing Tribal communities. 

The EAS is used to deliver emergency information to large audiences (i.e. weather and disaster alerts) through broadcast mediums like radio and TV. The following are some of the questions from the FCC regarding the new event code.

• Other than national emergencies, participation in the EAS is voluntary. Would the creation of a dedicated event code for MEP increase voluntary participation in retransmitting alerts?
• Should there be a dedicated event code for Missing Indigenous Persons? (Similar to the Feather Alert or Colorado and Washington’s  Missing Indigenous Person Alert.)
• Should the proposed MEP event code also be extended to the Wireless Emergency Alert System to enable alerts to mobile devices?
• Are there any concerns for privacy, civil rights, or Tribal Sovereignty in the creation and implementation for these kinds of alerts?

Additional questions, technical information, and background can be found in the full NPRM document. The FCC is accepting reply comments through June 17, 2024. The FCC’s Office of Native Affairs and Policy is also hosting a virtual consultation on June 17, 2024 1 - 3 PM ET. Information on how to submit a comment can be found at the FCC’s MEP page.