THE SENATE	S.B. NO.	2226
TWENTY-FIFTH LEGISLATURE, 2010
STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

RELATING TO SENIOR CITIZENS.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

     SECTION 1.  The department of the attorney general shall develop and implement a statewide silver alert program, to be integrated, to the greatest extent possible, with the existing Maile Amber Alert program and voluntary partnership, and activated on behalf of a missing senior citizen.

     SECTION 2.  An alert shall be issued if the following criteria are met:

     (1)  A county police department receives notice of a missing senior citizen from the family or legal guardian of the missing senior citizen;

     (2)  The senior citizen is domiciled in Hawaii, but the current location of the senior citizen is unknown;

     (3)  The senior citizen has an impaired mental condition that can be documented by the family, legal guardian, or physician of the missing senior citizen; and

     (4)  Sufficient information is provided that indicates that the senior citizen's disappearance poses a credible threat to the health and safety of the senior citizen.

     SECTION 3.  Once the criteria are met, and an alert is initiated, the emergency alert system, formerly called the emergency broadcast system, shall be used to air an alert.

The alert shall include all appropriate information provided by the respective county's police department, information that may lead to the safe recovery of the missing senior citizen, a statement instructing any person with information related to the missing senior citizen to contact a local law enforcement agency, and the contact information for that agency.

     SECTION 4.  For the purposes of this Act:

     "Alert" means the statewide silver alert.

     "Family" means any person related to the senior citizen by blood, marriage, or adoption, or as a reciprocal beneficiary.

     "Local law enforcement agency" means a law enforcement agency with jurisdiction over the investigation of a missing senior citizen.
     "Senior citizen" means a person who is sixty-five years of age or older.

     SECTION 5.  This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2010.

INTRODUCED BY:

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Report Title:

Missing Senior Citizen; Statewide Silver Alert Program

Description:

Creates and implements a Silver Alert Program to be operated concurrently with the Maile Amber Alert Program to the greatest extent possible.

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