WHEREAS, the Missing Children's Assistance Act, passed by the United States Congress in 1984, established a National Center for Missing and Exploited Children; and

WHEREAS, the National Center is designed to help in establishing, maintaining and providing support information networks for state clearinghouses on missing and exploited children; and

WHEREAS, a state clearinghouse is necessary in order to maintain records, disseminate information on reported missing children and to assist local, state and federal agencies as well as family members on cases relating to missing and exploiting children; and

WHEREAS, each state clearinghouse serves as a state based extension of the national effort to provide training, education, and public information relating to missing and exploited children; and

WHEREAS, the Vermont General Assembly by enactment of Title 20, chapter 112, has mandated that the Commissioner of the Department of Public Safety cooperate with and support all law enforcement agencies in matters relating to missing persons, and when necessary in order to protect a missing person from harm, to coordinate all efforts to search for the missing person.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Madeleine M. Kunin, by virtue of the powers vested in me as Governor of the State of Vermont, do hereby designate the Vermont State Police, Department of Public Safety, as the state clearinghouse for missing and exploited children. The Vermont State Police shall contract with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and coordinate with other state clearinghouse agencies in order to receive and provide training, education, and public information relating to missing and exploited children.

This Executive Order takes effect upon signing.

Dated January 12, 1990.