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Senate File 64 - IntroducedA Bill ForAn Act 1relating to the creation of a green alert program for
2missing veterans-at-risk.
3BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
1 Section 1. Section 694.1, subsection 1, Code 2019, is
2amended by adding the following new paragraph:
3 NEW PARAGRAPH. e. Is a veteran-at-risk.
4 Sec. 2. Section 694.1, Code 2019, is amended by adding the
5following new subsection:
6 NEW SUBSECTION. 3. “Veteran-at-risk” means a veteran as
7defined in section 35.1 or an active duty member of the armed
8forces of the United States, a member of a reserve component
9thereof, or a member of the national guard who, based on the
10information provided by a person filing a complaint pursuant to
11section 694.2, is a veteran or member with a physical or mental
12health condition related to the military service of the veteran
13or member.
14 Sec. 3. NEW SECTION. 694.5A Green alert program for missing
15veterans-at-risk.
161. For purposes of this section:
17a. “Department” means the department of public safety.
18b. “Green alert” means a public alert program for missing
19veterans-at-risk.
202. The department shall establish a green alert to require
21a law enforcement agency that receives a report of a missing
22person involving a veteran-at-risk to submit a request for a
23public alert to the state patrol as soon as practicable. The
24department shall implement activation procedures for a green
25alert by the same mechanisms currently used by the department
26for the public alert program for missing and abducted children.
273. The department shall develop the criteria to be used
28in determining whether a green alert shall be issued by the
29state patrol. The department shall develop the criteria in
30collaboration with the department of veterans affairs, the
31commission of veterans affairs, the United States department
32of veterans affairs, the department of human services, and the
33Iowa association of broadcasters. The criteria shall include
34but not be limited to the following:
35a. A report of a missing veteran-at-risk must be provided
-1-1to a law enforcement agency within seventy-two hours of the
2veteran-at-risk’s disappearance.
3b. There is reason to believe the veteran-at-risk may
4be missing as a consequence of a physical or mental health
5condition related to the veteran-at-risk’s military service.
6c. There is sufficient information available to disseminate
7a green alert to the public that could assist in locating the
8missing veteran-at-risk.
93. The department shall develop and disseminate to Iowa law
10enforcement agencies a form to be used in submitting a request
11to the state patrol for a green alert.
124. The commissioner of public safety shall adopt rules
13pursuant to chapter 17A consistent with the purposes of this
14section.
15EXPLANATION
16The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
17the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly.
18This bill relates to the creation of a green alert program
19for missing veterans-at-risk.
20The bill adds “veteran-at-risk” to the definition of a
21“missing person” under Code section 694.1. A “veteran-at-risk”
22is defined as a veteran or an active duty member of the armed
23forces of the United States, a member of a reserve component
24thereof, or a member of the national guard who, based on the
25information provided by a person filing a complaint pursuant
26to Code section 694.2, is a veteran or member with a physical
27or mental health condition related to the military service of
28the veteran or member. Under Code sections 694.2 and 694.3,
29a person may file a complaint of a missing person with a law
30enforcement agency and the law enforcement agency is required
31to prepare, as soon as practicable, a report on the missing
32person. Upon completion of the report, the law enforcement
33agency must disseminate the report to other law enforcement
34agencies pursuant to Code section 694.4.
35The bill directs the department of public safety to
-2-1establish a green alert, which is defined in the bill as a
2public alert program for missing veterans-at-risk, requiring
3a law enforcement agency that receives a report of a missing
4person involving a veteran-at-risk to submit a request for a
5public alert to the state patrol as soon as practicable. The
6green alert shall be implemented in a substantially similar
7fashion as the activation procedures used for an AMBER alert
8pursuant to administrative rules of the department of public
9safety relating to missing and abducted children.
10The bill requires the department of public safety to develop
11the criteria to be used by the state patrol in determining
12whether a green alert shall be issued. The criteria shall
13include but not be limited to the following: (1) a report of a
14missing veteran-at-risk must be provided to a law enforcement
15agency within 72 hours of the veteran-at-risk’s disappearance;
16(2) there is reason to believe the veteran-at-risk may be
17missing as a consequence of a physical or mental health
18condition that is related to the veteran-at-risk’s military
19service; and (3) there is sufficient information available to
20disseminate a green alert to the public that could assist in
21locating the missing veteran-at-risk.
22The bill requires the department of public safety to develop
23and disseminate to law enforcement agencies a form to be used
24in submitting a request to the state patrol for a green alert,
25and requires the department of public safety to adopt rules
26consistent with the provisions of the bill.
-3-mo/rh
2missing veterans-at-risk.
3BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
1 Section 1. Section 694.1, subsection 1, Code 2019, is
2amended by adding the following new paragraph:
3 NEW PARAGRAPH. e. Is a veteran-at-risk.
4 Sec. 2. Section 694.1, Code 2019, is amended by adding the
5following new subsection:
6 NEW SUBSECTION. 3. “Veteran-at-risk” means a veteran as
7defined in section 35.1 or an active duty member of the armed
8forces of the United States, a member of a reserve component
9thereof, or a member of the national guard who, based on the
10information provided by a person filing a complaint pursuant to
11section 694.2, is a veteran or member with a physical or mental
12health condition related to the military service of the veteran
13or member.
14 Sec. 3. NEW SECTION. 694.5A Green alert program for missing
15veterans-at-risk.
161. For purposes of this section:
17a. “Department” means the department of public safety.
18b. “Green alert” means a public alert program for missing
19veterans-at-risk.
202. The department shall establish a green alert to require
21a law enforcement agency that receives a report of a missing
22person involving a veteran-at-risk to submit a request for a
23public alert to the state patrol as soon as practicable. The
24department shall implement activation procedures for a green
25alert by the same mechanisms currently used by the department
26for the public alert program for missing and abducted children.
273. The department shall develop the criteria to be used
28in determining whether a green alert shall be issued by the
29state patrol. The department shall develop the criteria in
30collaboration with the department of veterans affairs, the
31commission of veterans affairs, the United States department
32of veterans affairs, the department of human services, and the
33Iowa association of broadcasters. The criteria shall include
34but not be limited to the following:
35a. A report of a missing veteran-at-risk must be provided
-1-1to a law enforcement agency within seventy-two hours of the
2veteran-at-risk’s disappearance.
3b. There is reason to believe the veteran-at-risk may
4be missing as a consequence of a physical or mental health
5condition related to the veteran-at-risk’s military service.
6c. There is sufficient information available to disseminate
7a green alert to the public that could assist in locating the
8missing veteran-at-risk.
93. The department shall develop and disseminate to Iowa law
10enforcement agencies a form to be used in submitting a request
11to the state patrol for a green alert.
124. The commissioner of public safety shall adopt rules
13pursuant to chapter 17A consistent with the purposes of this
14section.
15EXPLANATION
16The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
17the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly.
18This bill relates to the creation of a green alert program
19for missing veterans-at-risk.
20The bill adds “veteran-at-risk” to the definition of a
21“missing person” under Code section 694.1. A “veteran-at-risk”
22is defined as a veteran or an active duty member of the armed
23forces of the United States, a member of a reserve component
24thereof, or a member of the national guard who, based on the
25information provided by a person filing a complaint pursuant
26to Code section 694.2, is a veteran or member with a physical
27or mental health condition related to the military service of
28the veteran or member. Under Code sections 694.2 and 694.3,
29a person may file a complaint of a missing person with a law
30enforcement agency and the law enforcement agency is required
31to prepare, as soon as practicable, a report on the missing
32person. Upon completion of the report, the law enforcement
33agency must disseminate the report to other law enforcement
34agencies pursuant to Code section 694.4.
35The bill directs the department of public safety to
-2-1establish a green alert, which is defined in the bill as a
2public alert program for missing veterans-at-risk, requiring
3a law enforcement agency that receives a report of a missing
4person involving a veteran-at-risk to submit a request for a
5public alert to the state patrol as soon as practicable. The
6green alert shall be implemented in a substantially similar
7fashion as the activation procedures used for an AMBER alert
8pursuant to administrative rules of the department of public
9safety relating to missing and abducted children.
10The bill requires the department of public safety to develop
11the criteria to be used by the state patrol in determining
12whether a green alert shall be issued. The criteria shall
13include but not be limited to the following: (1) a report of a
14missing veteran-at-risk must be provided to a law enforcement
15agency within 72 hours of the veteran-at-risk’s disappearance;
16(2) there is reason to believe the veteran-at-risk may be
17missing as a consequence of a physical or mental health
18condition that is related to the veteran-at-risk’s military
19service; and (3) there is sufficient information available to
20disseminate a green alert to the public that could assist in
21locating the missing veteran-at-risk.
22The bill requires the department of public safety to develop
23and disseminate to law enforcement agencies a form to be used
24in submitting a request to the state patrol for a green alert,
25and requires the department of public safety to adopt rules
26consistent with the provisions of the bill.
-3-mo/rh