Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:
1. That §§52-34.13, 52-34.14, and 52-34.15 of the Code of Virginia are amended and reenacted as follows:
§52-34.13. Definitions.
As used in this chapter, unless the context requires a different meaning:
"Media" means print, radio, television, and Internet-based communication systems or other methods of communicating information to the public.
"Missing child person with autism"
means a child any person (i) whose whereabouts are unknown; (ii)
who has been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder as defined in §
38.2-3418.17; (iii) who is 17 years of age or younger or is currently
enrolled in a secondary school in the Commonwealth, regardless of age; and
(iv) (iii) whose disappearance poses a credible threat as determined
by law enforcement to the safety and health of the child person
and under such other circumstances as deemed appropriate by the Virginia State
Police.
"Missing child Person with autism alert
Autism Alert" means the notice of a missing child person
with autism provided to the public by the media or other methods under a
Missing Child Person with Autism Alert Agreement.
"Missing Child Person with Autism Alert
Agreement" means a voluntary agreement between law-enforcement officials
and members of the media whereby a child person with autism will
be declared missing, and the public will be notified by media outlets, and
includes all other incidental conditions of the partnership as found
appropriate by the Virginia State Police.
"Virginia Missing Child Person with Autism
Alert Program" or "Program" means the procedures and Missing
Child Person with Autism Alert Agreements to aid in the
identification and location of a missing child person with
autism.
§52-34.14. Establishment of the Virginia Missing Person with Autism Alert Program.
The Virginia State Police shall develop policies for the
establishment of uniform standards for the creation of Virginia Missing
Child Person with Autism Alert Programs throughout the Commonwealth.
The Virginia State Police shall (i) inform local law-enforcement officials of
the policies and procedures to be used for the Missing Child Person
with Autism Alert Programs; (ii) assist in determining the geographic scope of
a particular Missing Child Person with Autism Alert; and (iii)
establish procedures and standards by which a local law-enforcement agency
shall verify that a child person with autism is missing and shall
report such information to the Virginia State Police.
The establishment of a Missing Child Person with
Autism Alert Program by a local law-enforcement agency and the media is
voluntary, and nothing in this chapter shall be construed to be a mandate that
local officials or the media establish or participate in a Missing Child
Person with Autism Alert Program.
§52-34.15. Activation of Virginia Missing Person with Autism Alert Program upon incident of a missing person with autism.
A. Upon receipt of a notice of a missing child
person with autism from a law-enforcement agency, the Virginia State Police
shall confirm the accuracy of the information and provide assistance in the
activation of the Missing Child Person with Autism Alert Program
as the investigation dictates.
B. Missing Child Person with Autism Alerts may
be local, regional, or statewide. The initial decision to make a local Missing
Child Person with Autism Alert shall be at the discretion of the
local law-enforcement official. Prior to making a local Missing Child
Person with Autism Alert, the local law-enforcement official shall confer
with the Virginia State Police and provide information regarding the missing
child person with autism to the Virginia State Police. The decision
to make a regional or statewide Missing Child Person with Autism
Alert shall be at the discretion of the Virginia State Police.
C. The Missing Child Person with Autism Alert
shall include such information as the law-enforcement agency deems appropriate
that will assist in the safe recovery of the missing child person
with autism.
D. The Missing Child Person with Autism Alert
shall be canceled under the terms of the Missing Child Person
with Autism Alert Agreement. Any local law-enforcement agency that locates a
missing child person with autism who is the subject of an alert
shall notify the Virginia State Police immediately that the missing child
person with autism has been located.