law enforcement; training; alert systems

SB1781 - law enforcement; training; alert systems

Labor

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor: Sally Ann Gonzales, Theresa Hatathlie, Catherine Miranda
Last action: 2026-02-09
Official status: Senate second read
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official bill metadata indicates an effective date is currently blank.

SB1781: Turquoise Alert System Rules and Training

This law establishes the Turquoise Alert System for missing people under age 65 who are in danger, sets specific rules for issuing these alerts, and requires police agencies to train staff on how to use them.

What This Bill Does

Creates the Turquoise Alert System as a quick response system designed to issue and coordinate alerts following reports of missing persons.
Sets conditions that must be met before an alert can be issued, including that the person is under age 65, local resources have been used, circumstances are suspicious or unexplained, and there is information available to help find them safely.
Requires law enforcement agencies to develop training criteria regarding the Turquoise Alert System.
Mandates training for employees with direct involvement in missing person cases at the time of hire and every two years.
Orders that if a Turquoise Alert is issued, information must be shared with other entities in the state that provide similar notifications.
Requires federal, state, tribal, county, and municipal law enforcement agencies to work together to synchronize their training and alert systems.

Who It Names or Affects

Law enforcement officers who investigate missing person cases
Police supervisors and communication dispatchers involved in these cases
The Arizona Department of Public Safety
Missing persons under the age of sixty-five

Terms To Know

Turquoise Alert System: A quick response system designed to issue and coordinate alerts following a report of a missing person.
Emergency Alert System: The federally authorized network used by the state department to send urgent warnings, including Turquoise Alerts, to the public.

Limits and Unknowns

This law does not specify an effective date.
While alerts cannot be delayed for administrative reasons or prior missing episodes unrelated to immediate risk, the text does not list specific penalties if agencies fail to follow this rule.

Bill History

2026-02-09 Senate
Senate second read
2026-02-05 Senate
Senate Rules: None
2026-02-05 Senate
Senate Public Safety: None
2026-02-05 Senate
Senate first read

Official Summary Text

SB1781 - law enforcement; training; alert systems

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

SB1781 - 572R - I Ver

REFERENCE TITLE:
law enforcement; training; alert
systems

State of Arizona

Senate

Fifty-seventh Legislature

Second Regular Session

2026

SB 1781

Introduced by

Senators
Gonzales: Hatathlie, Miranda

AN
ACT

Amending section 41-1728.01, Arizona
Revised Statutes; Amending title 41, chapter 12, article 2, Arizona Revised
Statutes, by adding section 41-1738; relating to public safety.

(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)

Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona:

Section 1. Section 41-1728.01, Arizona Revised
Statutes, is amended to read:

START_STATUTE
41-1728.01.

Turquoise alert system; requirements; definitions

A. The department shall establish the turquoise

alert system as a quick response system designed to
issue and coordinate alerts following the report of a missing person.

B. On the request of an authorized person at a law
enforcement agency that is investigating a report of a missing person, the
department shall request an activation of the emergency alert system and issue
a turquoise

alert if all of the following
conditions are met:

1. The missing person is under sixty-five
years of age.

2. The law enforcement agency investigating the
missing person report:

(a) Has used all available local resources.

(b) Has determined that the person has gone missing
under unexplained or suspicious circumstances.

(c) Believes that the missing person is in danger or
that the missing person is in the company of a potentially dangerous person or
that there are other factors indicating that the missing person may be in
peril.

3. There is information available that, if
disseminated to the public, could assist in the safe recovery of the missing
person.

4. The department has been designated to use the
federally authorized emergency alert system for the issuance of turquoise

alerts.

C. If the department issues a turquoise

alert pursuant to this section, the department shall
provide the turquoise alert information to any other entity that provides
similar notifications in this state.

D. The department shall request an
activation of the emergency alert system and shall issue a turquoise alert
immediately pursuant to subsection B of this section. �A turquoise alert may
not be denied or delayed due to administrative processes, prior missing
episodes or discretionary assessments that are unrelated to the immediate risk
to the missing person's safety.

E. Each law enforcement agency shall
do all of the following:

1. Develop, implement and regularly
update training criteria regarding the Turquoise alert system. �The training
shall be comprehensive and shall create a solid foundation of knowledge
regarding the legal criteria and processes involved in issuing a timely
turquoise alert.

2. Conduct turquoise alert training
for all employees of a law enforcement agency, at the time of hire and
biannually, who have direct involvement in missing person cases, including the
supervisors of these employees and communication dispatchers. The training must
include a review of any department and state policies regarding locating a missing,
abducted or runaway child, with a specific focus on TURQUOISE alert procedures.
�The training shall be comprehensive and shall create a solid foundation of
knowledge regarding the legal criteria and processes involved in issuing a
timely turquoise alert.

D.

F.
For
the purposes of this section:

1. "Law enforcement agency" means the
Arizona
department of public safety, a municipal police
department, a county sheriff's office, a tribal law enforcement agency
and
or
a federal law enforcement agency
that operates within this state.

2. "Person" includes a member of a
federally recognized Indian Tribe.
END_STATUTE

Sec. 2. Title 41, chapter 12, article 2,
Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended by adding section 41-1738, to read:

START_STATUTE
41-1738.

Training and alert systems; synchronization

Notwithstanding any other law, each federal,
state, tribal, county and municipal law enforcement agency shall work
COLLABORATIVELY to synchronize all training and alert systems, including amber
alerts, TURQUOISE alerts and seek and find alerts, in this state.
END_STATUTE