Key Vote NO on H.R. 4919 – Kevin and Avonte’s Law

As one of our activists nationwide, I urge you to contact your representative and ask them to vote NO on H.R. 4919, Kevin and Avonte’s Law. This bill would extend the reach of the federal government into areas that should be left to the states, localities, and families.

If passed, the bill would create a $2 million program, administered by the Department of Justice (DOJ), to hand out federal funds to “health care agencies, state and local law enforcement agencies, or public safety agencies and nonprofit organizations to assist such entities in planning, designing, establishing, or operating locally based, proactive programs to prevent wandering and locate missing individuals” who suffer from various forms of mental impairment such as Alzheimer’s disease and autism.

The bill does not properly limit the rulemaking authority of the DOJ, and rather, opens shortens the amount of time available to examine and debate the content. “Federal standards must respect the ‘civil rights and liberties’ of people being tracked, including their Fourth Amendment rights. Data collected must be used ‘solely for the purpose of preventing injury or death.’” We cannot risk civil liberties or allow our privacies to be ignored.

While these programs could be beneficial and are well intentioned, there should not be federal intervention. Voting on a bill with high spending levels such as the one included on H.R. 4919, during the lame duck session of congress, means low accountability standards for the members, and allows another federal entitlement program to slip through the cracks.

Please contact your representative and ask them to vote NO on H.R. 4919, Kevin and Avonte’s Law. FreedomWorks will count the vote as a Key Vote when calculating our House Scorecard for 2016. The scorecard is used to determine eligibility for the FreedomFighter Award, which recognizes Members of the House and Senate who consistently vote to support economic freedom and individual liberty.

Sincerely,

Adam Brandon, President and CEO, FreedomWorks