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GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 2025
H 2
HOUSE BILL 698
Committee Substitute Favorable 4/30/25
Short Title: Center for Missing Persons to Highway Patrol. (Public)
Sponsors:
Referred to:
April 3, 2025
*H698-v-2*
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1
AN ACT TO TRANSFER THE NORTH CAROLINA CENTER FOR MISSING PERSONS TO 2
THE STATE HIGHWAY PATROL. 3
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 4
SECTION 1. All functions, powers, duties, and obligations vested in the North 5
Carolina Center for Missing Persons in the Department of Public Safety are transferred to, vested 6
in, and consolidated within the State Highway Patrol by a Type I transfer, as defined in 7
G.S. 143A-6. 8
SECTION 2. Article 17 of Chapter 143B of the General Statutes, as enacted by S.L. 9
2024-57, is amended by adding a new Part 4 to be entitled "North Carolina Center for Missing 10
Persons." 11
SECTION 3. Subpart B of Part 5 of Article 13 of Chapter 143B of the General 12
Statutes is recodified as Part 4 of Article 17 of Chapter 143B of the General Statutes, as enacted 13
by S.L. 2024-57, as follows: 14
Former Citation Recodified Citation 15
143B-1010 143B-1760 16
143B-1011 143B-1761 17
143B-1012 143B-1762 18
143B-1013 143B-1763 19
143B-1014 143B-1764 20
143B-1015 143B-1765 21
143B-1016 143B-1766 22
143B-1017 143B-1767 23
143B-1018 143B-1768 24
143B-1019 143B-1769 25
143B-1020 143B-1770 26
143B-1021 143B-1771 27
143B-1022 143B-1772 28
143B-1023 143B-1773 29
SECTION 4. Part 4 of Article 17 of Chapter 143B of the General Statutes, as 30
recodified by Section 3 of this act, reads as rewritten: 31
"Part 4. North Carolina Center for Missing Persons. 32
"§ 143B-1760. North Carolina Center for Missing Persons established. 33
There is established within the Department of Public Safety State Highway Patrol the North 34
Carolina Center for Missing Persons, which shall be organized and staffed in accordance with 35
applicable laws. The purpose of the Center is to serve as a central repository for information 36
General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
Page 2 House Bill 698-Second Edition
regarding missing persons and missing children, with special emphasis on missing children. The 1
Center may utilize the Federal Bureau of Investigation/National Crime Information Center's 2
missing person computerized file (hereinafter referred to as FBI/NCIC) through the use of the 3
Police Information Network in the North Carolina Department of Justice. 4
… 5
"§ 143B-1762. Control of the Center. 6
The Center is under the direction of the Secretary of the Department of Public Safety 7
Commander of the State Highway Patrol and may be organized and structured in a manner as the 8
Secretary deems appropriate to ensure that the objectives of the Center are achieved. The 9
Secretary Commander may employ those Center personnel as the General Assembly may 10
authorize and provide funding for. 11
"§ 143B-1763. Secretary Commander to adopt rules. 12
The Secretary Commander of the S tate Highway Patrol shall adopt rules prescribing all of 13
the following: 14
(1) Procedures for accepting and disseminating information maintained at the 15
Center. 16
(2) The confidentiality of the data and information, including the missing person 17
report, maintained by the Center. 18
(3) The proper disposition of all obsolete data, including the missing person 19
report; provided, data for an individual who has reached the age of 18 a nd 20
remains missing must be preserved. 21
(4) Procedures allowing a communication link with the Police Information 22
Network and the FBI/NCIC's missing person file to ensure compliance with 23
FBI/NCIC policies. 24
(5) Forms, including but not limited to a missing per son report, considered 25
necessary for the efficient and proper operation of the Center. 26
… 27
"§ 143B-1765. Dissemination of missing persons data by law-enforcement agencies. 28
… 29
If the report involves a missing child and the report meets the criteria established in 30
G.S. 143B-1021(b), G.S. 143B-1771(b), as soon as practicable after receipt of the report, the law 31
enforcement agency shall notify the Center and the National Center for Missing and Exploited 32
Children of the relevant data about the missing child. 33
… 34
"§ 143B-1766. Responsibilities of Center. 35
The Center shall do all of the following: 36
… 37
(9) Maintain a directory of existing public and private agencies, groups, and 38
individuals that provide effective assistance to families in the areas of 39
prevention of child abduction, location of missing children and missing 40
persons, and follow -up services to the child or person and family, as 41
determined by the Secretary of Public Safety. Commander of the State 42
Highway Patrol. 43
… 44
(13) Perform such other activities that the Secretary of Public Safety Commander 45
of the State Highway Pa trol considers necessary to carry out the intent of its 46
mandate. 47
… 48
"§ 143B-1768. Release of information by Center. 49
The following may make inquiries of, and receive data or information from, the Center: 50
… 51
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House Bill 698-Second Edition Page 3
(4) Any person engaged in bona fide research when approved by the Secretary; 1
Commander of the State Highway P atrol; provided, no names or addresses 2
may be supplied to this person. 3
(5) Any other person authorized by the Secretary of the Department of Public 4
Safety Commander of the State Highway Patrol pursuant to 5
G.S. 143B-1013.G.S. 143B-1763. 6
"§ 143B-1769. Provision of toll -free service; instructions to callers; communication with 7
law-enforcement agencies. 8
The Center shall provide a toll-free telephone line for anyone to report the disappearance of 9
any individual or the sighting of any missing child or missing person. The Center personnel shall 10
instruct the caller, in the case of a report concerning the disappearance of an individual, of the 11
requirements contained in G.S. 143B-1014 G.S. 143B-1764 of first having to submit a missing 12
person report on the individual to the law-enforcement agency having jurisdiction of the area in 13
which the individual became or is believed to have become missing. Any law -enforcement 14
agency may retrieve information imparted to the Center by means of this phone line. The Center 15
shall directly communicate any report of a sighting of a missing person or a missing child to the 16
law-enforcement agency having jurisdiction in the area of disappearance or sighting. 17
"§ 143B-1770. Improper release of information; penalty. 18
Any person working under the supervision of the Director of Victims and Justi ce Services 19
who knowingly and willfully releases, or authorizes the release of, any data, information, or 20
records maintained or possessed by the Center to any agency, entity, or person other than as 21
specifically permitted by Subpart B this Part or in violation of any rule adopted by the Secretary 22
Commander of the State Highway Patrol is guilty of a Class 2 misdemeanor. 23
"§ 143B-1771. North Carolina AMBER Alert System established. 24
(a) There is established within the North Carolina Center for Missi ng Persons the 25
AMBER Alert System. The purpose of AMBER Alert is to provide a statewide system for the 26
rapid dissemination of information regarding abducted children. 27
(b) The AMBER Alert System shall make every effort to disseminate information on 28
missing children as quickly as possible when all of the following criteria are met: 29
(1) The child is 17 years of age or younger;younger. 30
(2) The If abduction is not known or suspected to be by a parent of the child, 31
unless the child's life is must be suspected to be in imminent danger of serious 32
injury or death;death. 33
(3) The child is believed:believed (i) to have been abducted and (ii) to be in danger 34
of injury or death. 35
a. To have been abducted, or 36
b. To be in danger of injury or death; 37
(4) The child is not a runaway or voluntarily missing; andmissing. 38
(5) The abduction has been reported to and investigated by a law enforcement 39
agency. 40
If the abduction of the child is known or suspected to be by a parent of the child, the Center, 41
in its discretion, may disseminate information through the AMBER Alert System if the child is 42
believed to be in danger of injury or death. 43
… 44
(f) The Department of Public Safety, State Highway Patrol, on behalf of the Center, may 45
accept grants, contributions, devises, and gifts, which shall be kept in a separate fund, which shall 46
be nonreverting, and shall be used to fund the operations of the Center and the AMBER Alert 47
System. 48
"§ 143B-1772. North Carolina Missing Endangered System Silver Alert established. 49
(a) There is established within the North Carolina Center for Missing Persons the Missing 50
Endangered System. Silver Alert. The purpose of the Missing Endangered System Silver Alert 51
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is to provide a statewide system for the rapid dissemination of information regarding a mi ssing 1
person or missing child aged 65 or older who is believed to be suffering from dementia, 2
Alzheimer's disease, or a cognitive impairment that, in light of the person's or child's missing 3
status, requires the person or child to be protected from potential abuse or other physical harm, 4
neglect, or exploitation. that causes an irreversible deterioration of intellectual faculties that 5
makes them unable to meet their own needs or to seek help without assistance. 6
(b) If the Center or a law enforcement a gency receives a request that involves a missing 7
person or missing child as described in subsection (a) of this section, and at the time of receipt 8
no more than 72 hours have passed since the person or child went missing, the Center or law 9
enforcement agen cy shall issue an alert providing for rapid dissemination of information 10
statewide regarding the missing person or missing child. person. The Center or law enforcement 11
agency shall make every effort to disseminate the information as quickly as possible whe n the 12
person's or child's status as missing has been reported to a law enforcement agency.agency, 13
including procedures for the use of the Wireless Emergency Alert. 14
(c) The Center and all law enforcement agencies shall adopt guidelines and develop 15
procedures for issuing an a 90-day alert for missing persons and missing children as described in 16
subsection (a) of this section and shall provide education and training to encourage radio and 17
television broadcasters to participate in the alert. The guidelines and procedures shall ensure that 18
specific health information about the missing person or missing child is not made public through 19
the alert or otherwise. 20
(d) The Center and all law enforcement agencies shall consult with the Department of 21
Transportation and develop a procedure for the use of overhead permanent changeable message 22
signs to provide information on the missing person or missing child meeting the criteria of this 23
section when information is available that would enable motorists to assist in the recovery of the 24
missing person or missing child. person. The Center and the Department of Transportation shall 25
develop guidelines for the content, length, and frequency of any message to be placed on an 26
overhead permanent changeable message sign. 27
"§ 143B-1773. North Carolina Blue Alert System established. 28
… 29
(c) The Center shall adopt guidelines and develop procedures for the statewide 30
implementation of the Blue Alert System and shall provide education and trainin g to encourage 31
radio and television broadcasters to participate in the alert.alert, including procedures for the use 32
of the Emergency Alert System and the Wireless Emergency Alert. 33
… 34
"§ 143B-1774. North Carolina Missing Endangered Alert established. 35
(a) There is established within the North Carolina Center for Missing Persons the Missing 36
Endangered Alert. The purpose of the Missing Endangered Alert is to provide a statewide system 37
for the rapid dissemination of information regarding a missing person, aged 64 or younger, or 38
missing child who is believed to be suffering from dementia, Alzheimer's disease, or a cognitive 39
impairment that causes an irreversible deterioration of intellectual faculties that makes them 40
unable to meet their own needs or to seek hel p without assistance and that is not a risk to the 41
general public. 42
(b) If the Center receives a request that involves a missing person or missing child as 43
described in subsection (a) of this section, and at the time of receipt no more than 72 hours have 44
passed since the person or child went missing, the Center shall issue an alert providing for rapid 45
dissemination of information statewide regarding the missing person or missing child. The Center 46
shall make every effort to disseminate the information as quic kly as possible when the person 's 47
or child's status as missing has been reported to a law enforcement agency, including procedures 48
for the use of the Wireless Emergency Alert. 49
(c) The Center shall adopt guidelines and develop procedures for issuing a 90 -day alert 50
for missing persons and missing children as described in subsection (a) of this section and shall 51
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provide education and training to encourage radio and television broadcasters to participate in 1
the alert. The guidelines and procedures shall ensur e that specific health information about the 2
missing person or missing child is not made public through the alert or otherwise. 3
(d) The Center shall consult with the Department of Transportation and develop a 4
procedure for the use of overhead permanent cha ngeable message signs to provide information 5
on the missing person or missing child meeting the criteria of this section when information is 6
available that would enable motorists to assist in the recovery of the missing person or missing 7
child. The Center and the Department of Transportation shall develop guidelines for the content, 8
length, and frequency of any message to be placed on an overhead permanent changeable 9
message sign. 10
"§ 143B-1775. North Carolina Ashanti Alert established. 11
(a) There is established within the North Carolina Center for Missing Persons the Ashanti 12
Alert. The purpose of the Ashanti Alert is to provide a statewide system for the rapid 13
dissemination of information regarding a missing person over 18 years of age that is suspected 14
to have been abducted and there is both abductor and vehicle information available. 15
(b) If the Center receives a request that involves a missing person as described in 16
subsection (a) of this section, and at the time of receipt no more than 72 hours have passed since 17
the person went missing, the Center shall issue an alert providing for rapid dissemination of 18
information statewide regarding the missing person. The Center shall make every effort to 19
disseminate the information as quickly as possible when the perso n's status as missing has been 20
reported to a law enforcement agency, including procedures for the use of the Emergency Alert 21
System and the Wireless Emergency Alert. 22
(c) The Center shall adopt guidelines and develop procedures for issuing a 24-hour alert 23
for missing persons as described in subsection (a) of this section and shall provide education and 24
training to encourage radio and television broadcasters to participate in the alert. 25
(d) The Center shall consult with the Department of Transportation and de velop a 26
procedure for the use of overhead permanent changeable message signs to provide information 27
on the missing person or missing child meeting the criteria of this section when information is 28
available that would enable motorists to assist in the recov ery of the missing person or missing 29
child. The Center and the Department of Transportation shall develop guidelines for the content, 30
length, and frequency of any message to be placed on an overhead permanent changeable 31
message sign. 32
"§ 143B-1776. North Carolina Missing – Weather Alert established. 33
(a) There is established within the North Carolina Center for Missing Persons the Missing 34
– Weather Alert. The purpose of the Missing – Weather Alert is to provide a statewide system 35
for the rapid dissemination of information regarding a missing person or child that is missing 36
during times of extreme heat or cold and is not in a vehicle, or immediately following a significant 37
weather event. 38
(b) If the Center receives a request that involves a missing person as de scribed in 39
subsection (a) of this section, and at the time of receipt no more than 72 hours have passed since 40
the person went missing, the Center shall issue an alert providing for rapid dissemination of 41
information statewide regarding the missing person. The Center shall make every effort to 42
disseminate the information as quickly as possible, including procedures for the use of the 43
Wireless Emergency Alert. 44
(c) The Center shall adopt guidelines and develop procedures for issuing a 30 -day alert 45
for missing persons as described in subsection (a) of this section and shall provide education and 46
training to encourage radio and television broadcasters to participate in the alert." 47
SECTION 5. The State Highway Patrol shall adopt rules, or amendments to rules, 48
consistent with the provisions of this act. The State Highway Patrol may use the procedure set 49
forth in G.S. 150B-21.1 to adopt or amend any rules as required under this section. 50
SECTION 6. This act becomes effective July 1, 2025. 51