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HB48 INTRODUCED
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HB48
3PHK1ZV-1
By Representative Givan
RFD: Public Safety and Homeland Security
First Read: 13-Jan-26
PFD: 05-Nov-25
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3PHK1ZV-1 09/10/2025 JWB (L)lg 2025-2621
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PFD: 05-Nov-25
SYNOPSIS:
Under existing federal law, the AMBER Alert
System sends an alert to assist in the recovery of a
child under 17 years of age who a law enforcement
agency believes has been abducted and is in imminent
danger of serious bodily injury or death.
Under existing state law, the Missing and
Endangered Persons Alert Act sends an alert when the
Alabama State Law Enforcement Agency believes an
individual has been abducted and has a reasonable
belief that the individual is at risk of bodily harm or
death.
This bill would create an Ebony Alert System to
send an alert to assist in the recovery of a Black
youth or young adult, under certain circumstances.
A BILL
TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
Relating to public safety; to create an Ebony Alert
System to send an alert to assist in the recovery of a missing
Black youth or young adult under certain circumstances.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF ALABAMA:
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF ALABAMA:
Section 1. (a) For purposes of this section, "Ebony
Alert" means a notification system, activated pursuant to
subsection (b), designed to issue and coordinate alerts for
Black youth, including young women and girls, who are reported
missing under unexplained or suspicious circumstances.
(b)(1) If an individual is reported missing to a law
enforcement agency and that agency, referencing the factors in
subsection (c), determines that an alert would assist in the
search and rescue of the individual, the law enforcement
agency may request the Alabama State Law Enforcement Agency
(ALEA) to activate an Ebony Alert.
(2) If ALEA concurs with the assessment of the factors
in subsection (c), ALEA shall activate an Ebony Alert within
the appropriate geographical area requested by the
investigating law enforcement agency.
(3) Radio, television, cable, satellite, and social
media systems are encouraged to cooperate with disseminating
the information contained in an Ebony Alert.
(4) Upon activation of an Ebony Alert, ALEA shall
assist the investigating law enforcement agency by issuing a
be-on-the-lookout alert, an electronic flyer, or a changeable
message sign in compliance with subdivision (5).
(5) Upon activation of an Ebony Alert, ALEA may use a
changeable message sign if both of the following conditions
are met:
a. A law enforcement agency determines that a vehicle
may be involved in the incident.
b. Specific identifying information about the vehicle
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b. Specific identifying information about the vehicle
is available for public dissemination.
(c) A law enforcement agency may request that an Ebony
Alert be activated if that agency determines that an Ebony
Alert would be an effective tool in the investigation of
missing Black youth, including a young woman or girl, after
considering the following factors:
(1) Whether the missing individual is between 12 and 25
years of age.
(2) Whether the missing individual suffers from a
mental or physical disability.
(3) Whether the individual is missing under
circumstances that indicate any of the following:
a. The missing individual's physical safety may be
endangered.
b. The disappearance of the missing individual may not
have been voluntary, including an abduction or kidnapping.
c. The missing individual may be subject to
trafficking.
(4) Whether the law enforcement agency determines that
the individual has gone missing under unexplained or
suspicious circumstances as determined by the investigation of
the law enforcement agency.
(5) Whether the law enforcement agency believes any of
the following:
a. The individual is in danger because of age, health,
mental or physical disability, or environmental or weather
related conditions.
b. The individual is in the company of a potentially
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b. The individual is in the company of a potentially
dangerous individual.
c. There are other factors indicating that the
individual may be in peril.
(6) Whether the investigating law enforcement agency
has utilized available local resources.
(7) Whether there is information available that, if
disseminated to the public, could assist in the safe recovery
of the missing individual.
Section 2. This act shall become effective on October
1, 2026.
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