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HB0018 • 2023

Missing person alert systems.

AN ACT relating to missing person alert systems; amending duties for the office of homeland security and highway patrol for emergency alert communications networks; amending state cooperation with federal, tribal and local law enforcement for alert systems; providing a definition; and providing for an effective date.

Children
Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor
Tribal Relations
Last action
2023-02-21
Official status
enrolled
Effective date
2/21/2023

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide specific details on how the new alert systems will be funded or implemented.

Missing Person Alert Systems Act

This law amends duties for the Office of Homeland Security and State Highway Patrol to integrate additional missing persons alert communications networks, defines 'adult at risk', and requires coordination with tribal agencies on reservations.

What This Bill Does

  • Defines 'adult at risk' as an adult who has a developmental disability, suffers from Alzheimer's disease or dementia, or could suffer cognitive impairment without medication that would render them incapable of returning home safely without help.
  • Requires the Office of Homeland Security to assist in integrating additional missing persons alert communications networks for adults at risk and other missing persons not covered by AMBER alerts.
  • Directs the State Highway Patrol to operate these new alert systems and report annually on their use to the Division of Criminal Investigation.
  • Allows coordination with tribal agencies if they are also operating similar alert systems on reservations.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Law enforcement agencies
  • The Office of Homeland Security
  • State Highway Patrol
  • Tribal agencies on reservations

Terms To Know

Adult at risk
An adult who has a developmental disability, suffers from Alzheimer's disease or dementia, or could suffer cognitive impairment without medication that would render them incapable of returning home safely without help.
AMBER alert criteria
The specific conditions under which an AMBER alert can be issued for missing children.

Limits and Unknowns

  • Does not specify how the new systems will be funded or implemented.
  • Details about coordination with tribal agencies are limited to those on reservations.
  • It is unclear what criteria will define 'other missing persons' beyond adults at risk.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

HB0018HS001

Standing Committee • House Labor, Health and Social Services Committee

Adopted

Plain English: The amendment changes references to existing alert systems and integrates specific criteria for a new missing person broadcast emergency response system.

  • Removes mentions of integrating with existing alert systems.
  • Replaces 'system' with 'America's missing: broadcast emergency response alert criteria'.
  • Inserts language requiring the highway patrol to operate in conformance with applicable alert criteria.
  • The amendment text does not provide details on what specific changes will be made to duties or cooperation requirements, only that references are being updated and new criteria are being integrated.
HB0018SW001

Committee of the Whole • Senator Ellis

Adopted

Plain English: The amendment removes a reference to tribes in the bill text.

  • Removes the word 'both' after 'Tribe' and deletes the word 'tribes'.
  • This change simplifies the language but does not provide additional context about why these words were removed.

Bill History

  1. 2023-02-21 LSO

    Assigned Chapter Number 45

  2. 2023-02-21 Governor

    Governor Signed HEA No. 0020

  3. 2023-02-16 Senate

    S President Signed HEA No. 0020

  4. 2023-02-15 House

    H Speaker Signed HEA No. 0020

  5. 2023-02-15 LSO

    Assigned Number HEA No. 0020

  6. 2023-02-14 House

    H Concur:Passed 61-0-1-0-0

  7. 2023-02-13 House

    H Received for Concurrence

  8. 2023-02-13 Senate

    S 3rd Reading:Passed 31-0-0-0-0

  9. 2023-02-09 Senate

    S 2nd Reading:Passed

  10. 2023-02-08 Senate

    S COW:Passed

  11. 2023-02-07 Senate

    S Placed on General File

  12. 2023-02-07 Senate

    S07 - Corporations:Recommend Do Pass 5-0-0-0-0

  13. 2023-01-31 Senate

    S Introduced and Referred to S07 - Corporations

  14. 2023-01-19 Senate

    S Received for Introduction

  15. 2023-01-19 House

    H 3rd Reading:Passed 60-0-2-0-0

  16. 2023-01-18 House

    H 2nd Reading:Passed

  17. 2023-01-17 House

    H COW:Passed

  18. 2023-01-17 House

    H Placed on General File

  19. 2023-01-17 House

    H10 - Labor:Recommend Amend and Do Pass 9-0-0-0-0

  20. 2023-01-11 House

    H Introduced and Referred to H10 - Labor

  21. 2023-01-06 House

    H Received for Introduction

  22. 2022-12-05 LSO

    Bill Number Assigned

Official Summary Text

Bill Summary - 23LSO-0212
Bill No.:

HB0018

Effective:

Immediately

LSO No.:

23LSO-0212

Enrolled Act No.:

HEA No. 0020

Chapter No.:

45

Prime Sponsor:

Select Committee on Tribal Relations

Catch Title:

Missing person alert systems.

Subject:

Requiring integration and operation of additional missing persons alert communications networks.

Summary/Major Elements:

The America's missing: broadcast emergency response alert (AMBER alert) system helps locate endangered missing or abducted children.

This act concerns the integration and operation of additional missing persons alert communications networks, which enable and help facilitate search efforts for adults at risk or other missing persons who may fall outside the scope of AMBER alert criteria.

The act defines "adult at risk" to include an adult who has a developmental disability, who suffers from Alzheimer's disease or dementia, or who suffers from cognitive impairment.

The act creates additional duties for the Office of Homeland Security and the State Highway Patrol.
The Office of Homeland Security shall assist law enforcement agencies to integrate additional missing persons alert communications networks.
The State Highway Patrol shall operate and integrate additional missing persons alert communications networks.
If the Eastern Shoshone Tribe, the Northern Arapaho Tribe or the cooperative tribal governing body operate or seek to operate an additional missing persons alert communications network that the state also operates, the Office of Homeland Security and State Highway Patrol shall assist and coordinate with the tribal agency in establishing, integrating or operating that system.

Comment:

The act includes a reporting requirement: the State Highway Patrol shall report annually to the Division of Criminal Investigation certain information about use of alert systems.
The above summary is not an official publication of the Wyoming Legislature and is not an official statement of legislative intent.

While the Legislative Service Office endeavored to provide accurate information in this summary, it should not be relied upon as a comprehensive abstract of the bill.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
23LSO-0212

ORIGINAL House

ENGROSSED
Bill No
.
HB0018

ENROLLED ACT NO. 20,

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

SIXTY-SEVENTH LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WYOMING
2023 General Session

AN ACT relating to missing person alert systems; amending duties for the office of homeland security and highway patrol for emergency alert communications networks; amending state cooperation with federal, tribal and local law enforcement for alert systems; providing a definition; and providing for an effective date.

Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Wyoming:

Section 1.

W.S. 19
‑
13
‑
105(c)(vii) and 24
‑
12
‑
102(c) and by creating a new subsection (d) are amended to read:

19
‑
13
‑
105.

Homeland security program.

(c)

The director is the administrative head of the Wyoming office of homeland security. In addition to the duties described in W.S. 19
‑
13
‑
104(d) the director:

(vii)

Shall assist and coordinate with local, state, tribal and federal law enforcement agencies to employ the integrated public alert and warning system or successor system to notify residents of imminent threat by natural disaster or manmade event or to aid in the safe recovery of missing or endangered persons, which adheres to United States department of justice criteria.
The director shall also assist local, state, tribal and federal law enforcement agencies integrate additional missing persons alert communications networks that enable and help facilitate search efforts for an adult at risk or other missing person of an age, needs or circumstances that may fall outside the scope of the America's missing: broadcast emergency response alert criteria. As used in this paragraph "adult at risk" means an adult who has a developmental disability, who suffers from Alzheimer's disease or dementia, or who suffers from or could, without access to medication, suffer from cognitive impairment if the impairment would likely render the adult incapable of getting to a familiar location without assistance.

24
‑
12
‑
102.

Duties generally; emergencies; coordination.

(c)

The state highway patrol shall coordinate with local, tribal, state and federal law enforcement agencies, the Wyoming office of homeland security and any other appropriate entity to operate an alert system under the integrated public alert and warning system or successor system, adhering to the United States department of justice criteria.
The state highway patrol shall operate and integrate additional missing persons alert communications networks that enable and help facilitate search efforts for an adult at risk or other missing person of an age, needs or circumstances that may fall outside the scope of the America's missing: broadcast emergency response alert criteria.
The state highway patrol shall report annually to the division of criminal investigation the number of times and dates that the alert
system was
systems were
used, the age, race and gender of the abducted person, whether the abduction was thwarted and whether
the
an
alert system assisted in resolving the abduction. In addition:

(i)

If the
Eastern Shoshone Tribe, the
Northern Arapaho
and Eastern Shoshone tribes
Tribe or the cooperative tribal governing body
:

(A)

Operate or seek to operate an alert system under the integrated public alert and warning system or successor system on the Wind River Indian Reservation, adhering to the United States department of justice criteria,
or operate or seek to operate an additional missing persons alert communications network also operated by the state,
the Wyoming office of homeland security and state highway patrol shall assist and coordinate with any tribal agency in establishing
, integrating
or operating that system;

(B)

Report missing or endangered persons to the state highway patrol
in conformance with applicable alert criteria
, the state highway patrol shall employ the
applicable
alert
system
systems
under this subsection to aid in the protection of persons and safe recovery of the reported missing or endangered persons.

(ii)

The state highway patrol may also use
, integrate
or manage other alert systems to aid in the safe recovery of missing or endangered persons.

(d)

As used in this section "adult at risk" means an adult who has a developmental disability, who suffers from Alzheimer's disease or dementia, or who suffers from or could, without access to medication, suffer from cognitive impairment if the impairment would likely render the adult incapable of getting to a familiar location without assistance.

Section 2
.

This act is effective immediately upon completion of all acts necessary for a bill to become law as provided by Article 4, Section 8 of the Wyoming Constitution
.

(END)

Speaker of the House

President of the Senate

Governor

TIME APPROVED: _________

DATE APPROVED: _________

I hereby certify that this act originated in the House.

Chief Clerk

1