Bill Text: CA AB643 | 2015-2016 | Regular Session | Introduced

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft

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Bill Title: Emergency services: Silver Alerts.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Passed) 2015-09-28 - Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 332, Statutes of 2015. [AB643 Detail]

Download: California-2015-AB643-Introduced.html

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BILL NUMBER: AB 643	INTRODUCED
	BILL TEXT


INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Nazarian

                        FEBRUARY 24, 2015

   An act to amend Section 8594.10 of the Government Code, relating
to emergency services.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AB 643, as introduced, Nazarian. Emergency services: Silver
Alerts.
   Existing law authorizes a law enforcement agency to request the
also California Highway Patrol to activate a Silver Alert, as
defined, if the agency receives a report of a missing person who is
65 years of age or older, developmentally disabled, or cognitively
impaired, and certain conditions are met, including that all local
resources have been utilized and the disappearance is unexplained or
suspicious. Upon concurrence by the Department of the California
Highway Patrol that the precedent conditions have been met, existing
law requires the patrol to issue the alert, which may take the form
of a be-on-the-lookout alert, an Emergency Digital Information
Service message, or an electronic flyer, within a specified
geographical area.
   This bill would authorize the Silver Alert to be made by
changeable message sign.
   Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes.
State-mandated local program: no.


THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  SECTION 1.  Section 8594.10 of the Government Code is amended to
read:
   8594.10.  (a) For purposes of this section, "Silver Alert" means a
notification system, activated pursuant to subdivision (b), designed
to issue and coordinate alerts with respect to a person who is 65
years of age or older, developmentally disabled, or cognitively
impaired, and who is reported missing.
   (b) (1) If a person is reported missing to a law enforcement
agency and that agency determines that the requirements of
subdivision (c) are met, the agency may request the  Department
of the  California Highway Patrol to activate a Silver Alert. If
the  Department of   the  California Highway
Patrol concurs that the requirements of subdivision (c) are met, it
shall activate a Silver Alert within the geographical area requested
by the investigating law enforcement agency.
   (2) Radio, television, and cable and satellite systems are
encouraged to, but not required to, cooperate with disseminating the
information contained in a Silver Alert.
   (3) Upon activation of a Silver Alert, the  Department of the
 California Highway Patrol shall assist the investigating law
enforcement agency by issuing a be-on-the-lookout alert, an Emergency
Digital Information Service message,  a changeable message sign,
 or an electronic flyer.
   (c) A law enforcement agency may request a Silver Alert be
activated if that agency determines that all of the following
conditions are met in regard to the investigation of the missing
person:
   (1) The missing person is 65 years of age or older,
developmentally disabled, or cognitively impaired.
   (2) The investigating law enforcement agency has utilized all
available local resources.
   (3) The law enforcement agency determines that the person has gone
missing under unexplained or suspicious circumstances.
   (4) The law enforcement agency believes that the person is in
danger because of age, health, mental or physical disability, or
environment or weather conditions, that the person is in the company
of a potentially dangerous person, or that there are other factors
indicating that the person may be in peril.
   (5) There is information available that, if disseminated to the
public, could assist in the safe recovery of the missing person.
   (d) For purposes of this section, the following definitions have
the following meanings:
   (1) "Developmentally disabled" means affected by a developmental
disability, as defined in subdivision (a) of Section 4512 of the
Welfare and Institutions Code.
   (2) "Cognitively impaired" means affected by a cognitive
impairment, as defined in Section 14522.4 of the Welfare and
Institutions Code.