New Jersey-2024-A2017-Introduced

An Act establishing a "Purple Alert System" and supplementing Title 52 of the Revised Statutes.

Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

1. a. The Attorney General shall establish a "Purple Alert System" which shall provide a Statewide system for the rapid dissemination of information regarding a missing person. The program shall be a voluntary, cooperative effort between State and local law enforcement agencies and the media, including but not limited to print, radio, and television media outlets.

b. The Attorney General shall notify the media serving the State of New Jersey of the establishment of the Purple Alert System and invite their voluntary participation.

c. The Missing Persons Investigative Best Practices Protocol Unidentified Deceased Persons Investigative Guidelines promulgated by the Missing Persons Unit in the Division of State Police shall be revised to incorporate procedures for issuing an alert regarding missing persons. The guidelines and procedures shall ensure that specific health information about the missing person is not made public through the alert or otherwise.

2. A Purple Alert authorized under this section may be activated in accordance with the following requirements, which shall be incorporated into the guidelines required by subsection c. of section 1 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill).

a. The law enforcement agency receiving the missing persons report shall be the lead law enforcement agency.

b. The Missing Persons Unit in the Division of State Police, upon request, shall assist the lead law enforcement agency in the investigation of a Purple Alert.

c. Each of the following criteria shall be met before a Purple Alert may be issued:

(1) a missing person's report has been submitted to the local law enforcement agency where the person went missing;

(2) the person believed to be missing may be in danger of death or serious bodily injury;

(3) there is sufficient information available to indicate that a Purple Alert would assist in locating the missing person; and

(4) sufficient information is available to disseminate to the public that could assist in locating the person.

3. a. The Missing Persons Unit in the Division of State Police, in consultation with the Department of Transportation, shall develop a procedure for the use of overhead permanent changeable message signs to provide information on a missing person meeting the criteria set forth in section 2 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill) when information is available that would enable motorists to assist in the recovery of the missing person.

b. The Missing Persons Unit and the Department of Transportation shall develop guidelines for the content, length, and frequency of any message to be placed on the overhead permanent changeable message sign.

c. The procedure and guidelines required in subsections a. and b. of this section shall provide at a minimum that:

(1) overhead permanent changeable message signs may be activated only if accurate motor vehicle information is available and it is confirmed that the person was in the motor vehicle at the time of the disappearance;

(2) the lead law enforcement agency, upon determining that a Purple Alert is warranted, shall contact the Watch and Warning Bureau in the New Jersey State Police Regional Operations Intelligence Center, which shall contact the Department of Transportation for the activation of highway signs.

d. The participating media may voluntarily agree, upon notice of the issuance of a Purple Alert, to inform the public of a person believed to be missing within their service regions. The notice shall be provided through the lead law enforcement agency.

e. The alerts shall terminate upon notice from the lead law enforcement agency.

f. The alerts shall include a description of the missing person and other information as the lead law enforcement agency may deem pertinent and appropriate. The lead law enforcement agency shall, in a timely manner, update the media with new information regarding the missing person when appropriate.

g. The alerts also shall provide information concerning how those members of the public who have information relating to the missing person may contact the lead law enforcement agency or the Missing Persons Unit in the Division of State Police.

4. The Attorney General, with the assistance of the participating media, shall develop and undertake a public education campaign to inform the public about the Purple Alert System.

5. The Attorney General may adopt guidelines to effectuate the purposes of this act.

6. This act shall take effect on the first day of the seventh month next following enactment.

STATEMENT

This bill establishes an emergency "Purple Alert System" to notify the public of a missing person.

Under the bill, the emergency alert plan would be a voluntary, cooperative effort between State and local law enforcement agencies and the broadcast media. Upon notice by the lead law enforcement agency, the participating broadcast media would transmit an emergency alert to inform the public of the disappearance of a person.

The Missing Persons Unit in the Division of State Police, in consultation with the Department of Transportation, will develop a procedure for the use of overhead permanent changeable message signs to provide information on the missing person. This legislation is modeled on the Silver and Amber Alerts in current law.

According to the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs), which is funded by the United States Department of Justice, more than 600,000 people go missing annually. Approximately 4,400 unidentified bodies are recovered each year. Further, according to NamUs, in this State there are 358 open missing persons cases and 426 open unidentified persons cases in 2022.

According to the sponsor, this bill will help reduce the number of missing persons within the State. In addition, the bill will encourage the public to assist in locating a missing person and report any information that is known to law enforcement.