# Plain Language Summary: Emi-Coke Accountability Act of 2023

This bill creates a new national alert system designed to help find people who have been trafficked or are missing in connection with human smuggling operations. Specifically, it targets situations where someone is involved in a high-speed chase and is suspected of illegally bringing people into the United States. The bill establishes what's called an "Emi-Coke Alert" system—similar to the AMBER Alert system used for missing children—that would broadcast information to help law enforcement locate these individuals and the people they may be transporting.

The bill puts the Attorney General in charge of setting up this alert network and designates a national coordinator within the Department of Justice to oversee it. This coordinator would work with states, local police, broadcasters, and other organizations to develop guidelines and standards for when and how to issue these alerts. The coordinator would also create training programs for law enforcement, dispatchers, radio stations, and first responders so everyone understands how the system works. The system is designed to work alongside the existing AMBER Alert network to avoid duplication and make both systems more efficient.

States would be able to voluntarily adopt Emi-Coke Alert plans based on guidelines provided by the federal coordinator. Each state would decide its own specific rules about who qualifies as a trafficked person and when to issue alerts, though the coordinator would provide recommended standards. The bill emphasizes protecting people's privacy and civil liberties, requiring that alerts comply with all privacy laws and that sensitive medical information be safeguarded. The system would also try to limit alerts to geographic areas where the missing person could reasonably be found, based on their physical condition and available transportation.

The bill authorizes $500,000 in federal funding to establish and operate this alert network. The coordinator would submit annual reports to Congress showing how many alerts were issued in each state, how many people were successfully located, and how long it typically takes to find someone after an alert is issued.