Bill Text: IA SF526 | 2019-2020 | 88th General Assembly | Enrolled
Bill Title: A bill for an act creating a blue alert program within the department of public safety for the apprehension of a person suspected of killing or seriously injuring a peace officer in the line of duty or due to safety concerns for a peace officer missing while on duty. (Formerly SSB 1167.) Effective date: 07/01/2020.
Spectrum: Committee Bill
Status: (Passed) 2020-06-29 - Signed by Governor. S.J. 863. [SF526 Detail]
Download: Iowa-2019-SF526-Enrolled.html
Senate
File
526
-
Enrolled
Senate
File
526
AN
ACT
CREATING
A
BLUE
ALERT
PROGRAM
WITHIN
THE
DEPARTMENT
OF
PUBLIC
SAFETY
FOR
THE
APPREHENSION
OF
A
PERSON
SUSPECTED
OF
KILLING
OR
SERIOUSLY
INJURING
A
PEACE
OFFICER
IN
THE
LINE
OF
DUTY
OR
DUE
TO
SAFETY
CONCERNS
FOR
A
PEACE
OFFICER
MISSING
WHILE
ON
DUTY.
BE
IT
ENACTED
BY
THE
GENERAL
ASSEMBLY
OF
THE
STATE
OF
IOWA:
Section
1.
NEW
SECTION
.
80H.1
Definitions.
As
used
in
this
chapter,
the
following
definitions
apply:
1.
“Department”
means
the
department
of
public
safety.
2.
“Law
enforcement
agency”
means
a
law
enforcement
agency
with
jurisdiction
over
the
search
for
a
suspect
in
a
case
involving
the
death
or
serious
injury
of
a
peace
officer
in
the
line
of
duty,
or
a
law
enforcement
agency
employing
a
peace
officer
who
is
reported
missing
while
on
duty
under
circumstances
warranting
concern
for
the
peace
officer’s
safety.
3.
“Peace
officer”
means
the
same
as
defined
in
section
801.4.
Sec.
2.
NEW
SECTION
.
80H.2
Blue
alert
program
——
creation.
A
blue
alert
program
is
created
as
a
cooperative
effort
Senate
File
526,
p.
2
between
the
department
and
local
law
enforcement
agencies
to
aid
in
the
search
for
a
suspect
of
a
crime
involving
the
death
or
serious
injury
of
a
peace
officer
in
the
line
of
duty
or
a
peace
officer
who
is
missing
while
on
duty
under
circumstances
warranting
concern
for
the
peace
officer’s
safety.
Sec.
3.
NEW
SECTION
.
80H.3
Criteria
——
blue
alert.
1.
Upon
notification
by
a
law
enforcement
agency
that
a
suspect
in
a
case
involving
the
death
or
serious
injury
of
a
peace
officer
in
the
line
of
duty
has
not
been
apprehended
and
may
be
a
serious
threat
to
the
public,
the
department
of
public
safety
communications
center
shall
activate
a
blue
alert
and
notify
appropriate
participants
in
the
blue
alert
program,
as
established
by
department
rule,
if
all
of
the
following
criteria
apply:
a.
A
law
enforcement
agency
believes
that
the
suspect
has
not
been
apprehended.
b.
A
law
enforcement
agency
believes
that
the
suspect
may
be
a
serious
threat
to
the
public.
c.
Sufficient
descriptive
information
is
available
to
disseminate
to
the
public
that
could
assist
in
locating
the
suspect.
2.
Upon
notification
by
a
law
enforcement
agency
that
a
peace
officer
is
missing
while
on
duty
under
circumstances
warranting
concern
for
the
peace
officer’s
safety,
the
department
of
public
safety
communications
center
shall
activate
a
blue
alert
and
notify
appropriate
participants
in
the
blue
alert
program,
as
established
by
department
rule,
if
sufficient
descriptive
information
is
available
to
disseminate
to
the
public
that
could
assist
in
locating
the
missing
peace
officer.
3.
The
department
of
public
safety
communications
center
shall
not
release
any
information
about
the
identity
of
a
peace
officer
in
a
case
involving
the
death
or
serious
injury
of
the
peace
officer
who
is
the
subject
of
a
blue
alert.
4.
If
a
blue
alert
is
issued
because
a
peace
officer
is
missing
while
on
duty,
the
department
of
public
safety
communications
center
shall
defer
to
the
investigating
law
enforcement
agency
about
the
nature
and
limits
of
the
officer
Senate
File
526,
p.
3
information
to
be
made
public.
Sec.
4.
NEW
SECTION
.
80H.4
Activation
and
termination.
1.
Upon
establishment
of
the
blue
alert
criteria
in
section
80H.3,
the
department
shall
transmit
a
blue
alert
through
the
emergency
alert
system
to
Iowa
broadcasters.
2.
Upon
the
transmission
of
a
blue
alert,
the
department
shall
post
the
alert
on
an
internet
website
accessible
by
the
public.
3.
After
an
initial
blue
alert
transmission,
additional
information
may
be
submitted
by
the
participating
law
enforcement
agency
by
facsimile
transmission,
electronic
mail,
or
telephonic
means.
4.
The
bureau
chief
of
the
department
of
public
safety
communications
bureau
may
direct
the
transmission
of
an
Iowa
blue
alert
upon
request
from
another
state,
provided
that
there
is
evidence
the
suspect
may
be
present
in
Iowa.
5.
The
blue
alert
transmission
may
be
directed
to
a
specific
geographic
location
within
the
state
if
the
department
of
public
safety
communications
center
determines
that
the
nature
of
the
event
makes
it
probable
that
the
suspect
or
peace
officer
did
not
leave
a
certain
geographic
location
of
the
state.
6.
A
blue
alert
shall
terminate
if
any
of
the
following
occur:
a.
The
suspect
or
peace
officer
is
located.
b.
The
department
determines
that
the
blue
alert
is
no
longer
an
effective
tool
for
locating
the
suspect
or
peace
officer.
c.
Five
hours
have
elapsed
since
the
transmission
of
the
blue
alert.
7.
A
blue
alert
may
be
renewed.
8.
Law
enforcement
agencies
shall
notify
the
department
immediately
upon
taking
a
suspect
into
custody
or
upon
locating
the
missing
peace
officer.
Sec.
5.
NEW
SECTION
.
80H.5
Liability.
No
entity
or
individual
shall
be
liable
for
any
civil
damages
arising
from
the
activation
or
termination
of
a
blue
alert,
provided
the
entity
or
individual
acts
reasonably
and
in
good
faith.
Senate
File
526,
p.
4
Sec.
6.
NEW
SECTION
.
80H.6
Rules.
The
department
shall
adopt
rules
pursuant
to
chapter
17A
to
implement
this
chapter.
______________________________
CHARLES
SCHNEIDER
President
of
the
Senate
______________________________
PAT
GRASSLEY
Speaker
of
the
House
I
hereby
certify
that
this
bill
originated
in
the
Senate
and
is
known
as
Senate
File
526,
Eighty-eighth
General
Assembly.
______________________________
W.
CHARLES
SMITHSON
Secretary
of
the
Senate
Approved
_______________,
2020
______________________________
KIM
REYNOLDS
Governor