House File 2015 - Introduced HOUSE FILE 2015 BY ZIRKELBACH A BILL FOR An Act creating a silver alert program for the identification 1 and location of cognitively impaired persons who are 2 confirmed missing. 3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 4 TLSB 5182YH (6) 83 jm/nh

H.F. 2015 Section 1. NEW SECTION . 80G.1 Silver alert program —— 1 creation. 2 A silver alert program is created as a cooperative effort 3 between the department of public safety and local law 4 enforcement agencies to aid in the identification and location 5 of cognitively impaired persons who are missing. 6 Sec. 2. NEW SECTION . 80G.2 Definition. 7 As used in this chapter, “cognitively impaired” means that 8 a person is deficient in short-term or long-term memory; 9 orientation as to person, place, and time; deductive or 10 abstract reasoning; or judgment as it relates to safety 11 awareness. 12 Sec. 3. NEW SECTION . 80G.3 Criteria. 13 A silver alert shall be issued by Iowa state patrol 14 communications upon receipt of a request from a law enforcement 15 agency if all of the following criteria apply: 16 1. The law enforcement agency has confirmed that a 17 cognitively impaired person is missing and an entry has 18 been made into the Iowa online articles and warrants system 19 identifying the person as missing. The law enforcement agency 20 shall submit to the department of public safety sufficient 21 information to confirm the person is missing on a form 22 prescribed by the department of public safety prior to a silver 23 alert being transmitted. 24 2. The law enforcement agency believes the circumstances 25 surrounding the disappearance indicate the person is in danger 26 of serious injury or death. 27 3. There is enough descriptive information about the 28 disappearance to ensure that an immediate broadcast of the 29 information will aid in the discovery of the person. 30 Sec. 4. NEW SECTION . 80G.4 Activation and termination. 31 1. Upon establishment of the silver alert criteria in 32 section 80G.3, the department of public safety shall transmit 33 a silver alert through the emergency alert system to Iowa 34 broadcasters. 35 -1- LSB 5182YH (6) 83 jm/nh 1/ 3

H.F. 2015 2. Upon the transmission of a silver alert the department 1 of public safety shall post the alert on an internet website 2 accessible by the public. 3 3. After an initial silver alert transmission, additional 4 information may be submitted by the participating law 5 enforcement agency by facsimile transmission, electronic mail, 6 or telephonic means. 7 4. The communications officer of the state patrol may direct 8 the transmission of an Iowa silver alert upon request from 9 another state, provided that there is evidence the person may 10 be present in Iowa. 11 5. A silver alert shall terminate if the person is located 12 or five hours have elapsed since the transmission of the alert. 13 6. A silver alert may be renewed. 14 Sec. 5. NEW SECTION . 80G.5 Rules. 15 The department of public safety shall adopt rules pursuant to 16 chapter 17A to implement this chapter. 17 EXPLANATION 18 This bill creates a silver alert program within the 19 department of public safety. 20 The bill provides that the purpose of the program is to aid 21 in the identification and location of cognitively impaired 22 persons who are missing. 23 The bill defines “cognitively impaired” to mean that 24 a person is deficient in short-term or long-term memory; 25 orientation as to person, place, and time; deductive or 26 abstract reasoning; or judgment as it relates to safety 27 awareness. 28 Under the bill, a silver alert shall be issued by the 29 department of public safety if the following apply: a law 30 enforcement agency has confirmed that a cognitively impaired 31 person is missing and an entry has been made into the Iowa 32 online articles and warrants system; the law enforcement agency 33 believes the circumstances surrounding the disappearance 34 indicate the person is in danger of serious injury or 35 -2- LSB 5182YH (6) 83 jm/nh 2/ 3

H.F. 2015 death; and there is enough descriptive information about 1 the disappearance to ensure an immediate broadcast of the 2 information will aid in the discovery of the person. 3 If the criteria for issuing a silver alert have been 4 established, the department of public safety shall transmit 5 a silver alert through the emergency alert system to Iowa 6 broadcasters. Upon the transmission of the silver alert the 7 department shall also post the alert on an internet website. 8 The bill provides that a silver alert shall be terminated 9 when the person is located or five hours after transmission of 10 the alert. 11 -3- LSB 5182YH (6) 83 jm/nh 3/ 3