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

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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-Chaptered.html

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BILL NUMBER: AB 643	CHAPTERED
	BILL TEXT

	CHAPTER  332
	FILED WITH SECRETARY OF STATE  SEPTEMBER 28, 2015
	APPROVED BY GOVERNOR  SEPTEMBER 28, 2015
	PASSED THE SENATE  AUGUST 31, 2015
	PASSED THE ASSEMBLY  MAY 18, 2015
	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  APRIL 8, 2015

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, Nazarian. Emergency services: Silver Alerts.
   Existing law authorizes a law enforcement agency to request the
Department of the 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 if a law enforcement agency determines that a
vehicle may be involved in the missing person incident and specific
vehicle identification data is available for public dissemination.


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, an electronic flyer, or a
changeable message sign in compliance with paragraph (4).
   (4) Upon activation of a Silver Alert, the Department of the
California Highway Patrol may use a changeable message sign if both
of the following conditions are met:
   (A) A law enforcement agency determines that a vehicle may be
involved in the missing person incident.
   (B) Specific vehicle identification is available for public
dissemination.
   (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.