SENIOR SENATE PROPOSAL NO. 10

INTRODUCED BY SENIOR SENATOR MURPHY

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

SP 10: SILVER ALERT PROGRAM.

EXISTING LAW IN CALIFORNIA ESTABLISHES THE STATE PROCEDURE FOR ACTIVATION OF THE EMERGENCY ALERT SYSTEM REGARDING THE ABDUCTION OF CHILDREN AND PERSONS WITH MENTAL OR PHYSICAL DISABILITIES. UNDER EXISTING LAW IN OTHER STATES, SOME STATES HAVE ADOPTED SUCCESSFUL MISSING PERSONS PROGRAMS FOR ROAMING PERSONS WITH ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE, CALLED SILVER ALERT PROGRAMS, WHICH ARE MODELED AFTER THE NATIONAL PROGRAM FOR MISSING CHILDREN KNOWN AS AMBER ALERT.

THIS MEASURE WOULD MEMORIALIZE THE LEGISLATURE AND THE GOVERNOR TO ENACT LEGISLATION TO ESTABLISH A SILVER ALERT PROGRAM IN CALIFORNIA, IN CONNECTION WITH THE EXISTING EMERGENCY ALERT SYSTEM, AS SPECIFIED.

VOTE: MAJORITY.

SP 10: RELATING TO THE SILVER ALERT PROGRAM

WHEREAS, WHEN A SENIOR IN CALIFORNIA WITH ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE OR DEMENTIA WANDERS AWAY FROM HOME, THERE IS NO CONSISTENTLY APPLIED ALERT SYSTEM TO AID IN THEIR RECOVERY; AND

WHEREAS, IN LOCAL JURISDICTIONS, IT IS TYPICAL THAT REPORTS OF MISSING PERSONS ARE NOT ACTED UPON FOR 24 TO 48 HOURS; AND

WHEREAS, AT LEAST 5.2 MILLION AMERICANS SUFFER FROM DEMENTIA, AND RESEARCH SHOWS THAT SIX OUT OF 10 OF THOSE PERSONS WILL WANDER AWAY FROM HOME AND ONLY 4 PERCENT WILL BE ABLE TO FIND THEIR WAY HOME; AND

WHEREAS, WHILE THE VAST MAJORITY OF PERSONS WITH DEMENTIA WHO WANDER AWAY FROM HOME ARE RECOVERED QUICKLY BY CAREGIVERS OR NEIGHBORS, THOSE WHO ARE NOT FOUND WITHIN THE FIRST 24 HOURS HAVE A 50 PERCENT CHANCE OF SUFFERING A SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH DUE TO EXPOSURE OR OTHER ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS OR AFTER FAILING TO TAKE LIFE-SUSTAINING MEDICATIONS; AND

WHEREAS, THE SENIOR POPULATION HAS BEEN STEADILY GROWING, AND IS FEELING THE ADDED IMPACT AS THE BABY-BOOMER GENERATION MATURES, POTENTIALLY INCREASING THE NUMBER OF DEMENTIA PATIENTS WHO ARE INJURED OR KILLED WHILE WANDERING AWAY FROM HOME; AND

WHEREAS, A NEW TYPE OF MISSING PERSONS PROGRAM, KNOWN AS SILVER ALERT AND SIMILAR PROGRAMS, HAS BEEN DEVELOPED AND ADOPTED BY SEVERAL STATES, AND HAS RESULTED IN THE SAFE RETURN OF A MAJORITY OF THE PERSONS REPORTED MISSING THROUGH THE PROGRAM; AND

WHEREAS, LEGISLATORS FROM SEVERAL OTHER STATES HAVE DISCUSSED PROPOSALS FOR SIMILAR PROGRAMS; AND

WHEREAS, ADMINISTRATORS OF EXISTING STATE SILVER ALERT PROGRAMS STATE THAT THE PROGRAMS ARE INEXPENSIVE BECAUSE THEY UTILIZE EXISTING AMBER ALERT COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS; AND

WHEREAS, SENATE BILL NO. 38 OF THE 2009-10 REGULAR SESSION WAS INTRODUCED IN 2009 AND THE SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE ANALYZED THE COST OF THE BILL TO BE MINOR AND ABSORBABLE FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF THE CALIFORNIA HIGHWAY PATROL; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT

RESOLVED, BY THE SENIOR SENATE AND THE SENIOR ASSEMBLY, JOINTLY, THAT THE SENIOR LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA AT ITS 2011 REGULAR SESSION, A MAJORITY OF THE MEMBERS VOTING THEREFOR, HEREBY PROPOSES THAT A MISSING PERSONS PROGRAM KNOWN AS SILVER ALERT BE ESTABLISHED IN CALIFORNIA IN CONNECTION WITH THE EXISTING STATE EMERGENCY ALERT SYSTEM, PURSUANT TO PROVISIONS SIMILAR TO THOSE PROPOSED IN SENATE BILL NO. 38 OF THE 2009-10 REGULAR SESSION; AND BE IT FURTHER

RESOLVED, THAT THE SENIOR LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA RESPECTFULLY MEMORIALIZES THE LEGISLATURE AND THE GOVERNOR TO ENACT APPROPRIATE LEGISLATION THAT WOULD ADDRESS THE CONCERNS SET FORTH IN THIS MEASURE; AND BE IT FURTHER

RESOLVED, THAT A COPY OF THIS MEASURE BE TRANSMITTED TO THE PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE OF THE SENATE, THE SPEAKER OF THE ASSEMBLY, AND THE GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA.

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RN 11 17646