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ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Fifty-Seventh Legislature, First Regular Session
silver alert; criteria; notification
Purpose
Expands the silver alert to include a missing person who has a cognitive disability, prohibits an alert from being denied or delayed for outlined conditions and establishes Silver Alert Notification System (System) training requirements for all law enforcement agencies and applicable Department of Public Safety (DPS) employees.
Background
The System is a quick response system designed to issue and coordinate alerts on the request of an authorized person at a law enforcement agency investigating a missing person report. DPS must request an activation of the federally authorized Emergency Alert System (EAS) to issue a silver alert if: 1) the missing person is at least 65 years old or has a developmental disability, Alzheimer's disease or dementia; 2) the investigating agency has used all available local resources, determined that the person has gone missing under unexplained or suspicious circumstances and believes that the missing person is in danger; 3) there is information available that, if disseminated to the public, could assist in the safe recovery of the missing person; and 4) DPS has been designated to use the federally authorized EAS for the issuance of silver alerts (A.R.S. ยง 41-1728).
There is no anticipated fiscal impact to the state General Fund associated with this legislation.
Provisions
2. Specifies that DPS must request an activation of the EAS and issue a silver alert immediately regardless of the missing person's age.
3. Prohibits a silver alert from being denied or delayed due to administrative processes, prior missing episodes or discretionary assessments that are unrelated to the immediate risk to the missing person's safety.
4. Requires all law enforcement agencies in Arizona to:
a) develop, implement and regularly update training criteria for all newly hired employees regarding the System; and
b) conduct annual silver alert notification training for all DPS employees who have direct oversight of missing person cases, including the supervisors of these employees.
5. Requires the training to:
a) be comprehensive and create a solid foundation of knowledge regarding the legal criteria and processes involved in issuing a timely silver alert;
b) include a review of any DPS and state policies regarding locating missing, abducted or runaway persons, with a specific focus on silver alert procedures; and
c) include an examination of the legal requirements and the necessary ongoing efforts required to locate missing, abducted or runaway persons in a timely and effective manner.
6. Defines a cognitive disability as a condition that involves subaverage general intellectual functioning, exists concurrently with deficits in adaptive behavior manifested before 18 years old and is sometimes referred to as an intellectual disability.
7. Makes conforming changes.
8. Becomes effective on the general effective date.
House Action
JUD 2/19/25 DP 9-0-0-0
3rd Read 3/3/25 58-0-2
Prepared by Senate Research
March 17, 2025
KJA/NRG/mg