SB 778 — AN ACT ESTABLISHING A GREEN ALERT SYSTEM FOR MISSING VETERANS.

General Assembly CommitteeSubstitute Bill No.

778 January Session, 2019 LCOAN No.ACT ESTABLISHING A GREEN ALERT SYSTEM FOR MISSING VETERANS.

5056 Referred to Committee on VETERANS' AFFAIRS Introduced by:

(VA) AN ACT ESTABLISHING A GREEN ALERT SYSTEM FOR MISSING VETERANS.

(b) The Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection shall, within available appropriations, establish and administer a communications network, to be known as the Green Alert communications network, to provide assistance to thea searchstate effortsor oflocal LCOlaw No.enforcement agency searching for any missing veteran.

5056(c) 1(1) The Commissioner of 5Emergency CommitteeServices Billand No.778Public aProtection stateshall ordesignate localan lawemployee enforcementof agencythe forDepartment anyof missingEmergency veteran.Services and Public Protection to act as the coordinator of LCO \\PRDFS1\SCOUSERS\FORZANOF\WS\2019SB-00778-R01 of 4 SB.docx Substitute Bill No.

(c)778 (1) The Commissioner of Emergency Services and Public Protection shall designate an employee of the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection to act as the coordinator of the Green Alert communications network.

(d) Not later than October 1, 2020, and annually thereafter, the coordinator of the Green Alert communications network shall submit to the joint standing committeecommittees of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to military and veterans' affairs and the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to public safety, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a of the general statutes, a report on the activities of the coordinator, the number of Green Alerts issued, the number of individuals located successfully, the average period of time between the issuance of a Green Alert and the location of the individual for whom such alert was issued and any other information that the coordinator deems appropriate.

(e) (1) The Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection, in consultation with the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Military Department, shall adopt regulations in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54 of the general statutes to establish minimum standards for (A) the issuance of alerts through the Green Alert communications network, and (B) the extent of the dissemination of alerts issued through the network.

LCO(2) No.The minimum standards shall provide that:

5056 2 of 5 Committee Bill No.778 (2) (A) TheAppropriate minimum standards shall provide that appropriate information relating to the special needs of a missing veteran, including health care needs, are disseminated to the appropriate state or local law enforcement agency.agency;

(B) TheDissemination minimum standards shall provide that the dissemination of an alert through the Green Alert communicationsLCO network{\\PRDFS1\SCOUSERS\FORZANOF\WS\2019SB-00772 be limited to the geographic areas that the missing veteran could reasonably reach, considering the missing veteran's circumstances and physical and mental condition, the modes of transportation4 availableR02-SB.docx to} theSubstitute missingBill veteranNo. and the circumstances of the disappearance.

(C)778 Thecommunications minimumnetwork standardsbe shalllimited ensureto thatthe alertsgeographic issuedareas throughthat the Greenmissing Alertveteran communicationscould networkreasonably complyreach, withconsidering allthe applicablemissing federal,veteran's statecircumstances and localphysical privacyand lawsmental condition, the modes of transportation available to the missing veteran and regulations.the circumstances of the disappearance;

(D)(C) TheAlerts minimumissued standardsthrough shallthe includeGreen standardsAlert thatcommunications specificallynetwork providecomply forwith theall protectionapplicable offederal, thestate civil liberties and sensitivelocal medicalprivacy informationlaws ofand missingregulations; veterans.

and (D) Civil liberties and sensitive medical information of missing veterans are protected.

(a) The clearinghouse established under section 29-1e shall collect, process, maintain and disseminate information to assist in the location of any missing person who (1) is eighteen years of age or older and has a mental impairment, [or] (2) is sixty-five years of age or older, or (3) is a veteran, as defined in subsection (a) of section 1 of this act, provided a missing person report prepared by the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection has been filed by such missing person's relative, guardian, conservator or agent appointed by the missing LCO {\\PRDFS1\SCOUSERS\FORZANOF\WS\2019SB-00778-3 of 4 R02-SB.docx } Substitute Bill No.

5056778 3 of 5 Committee Bill No.778 process, maintain and disseminate information to assist in the location of any missing person who (1) is eighteen years of age or older and has a mental impairment, [or] (2) is sixty-five years of age or older, or (3) is a veteran, as defined in subsection (a) of section 1 of this act, provided a missing person report prepared by the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection has been filed by such missing person's relative, guardian, conservator or agent appointed by the missing person in accordance with sections 1-350 to 1-353b, inclusive, any health care representative appointed by the missing person in accordance with section 19a-576 or a nursing home administrator, as defined in section 19a-511, or, pursuant to section 17a-465b, by an employee of the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services who is certified under the provisions of sections 7-294a to 7-294e, inclusive.

LCOSection No.1 October 1, 2019 New section Sec.

5056 4 of 5 Committee Bill No.

778 Section 1 October 1, 2019 New section Sec.

3 October 1, 2019 29-1f Statement of Purpose:Legislative Commissioners:

ToIn establishSection a1, greenSubsec. alert system for locating missing veterans.

except(e)(2) thatwas whenrewritten thefor entireclarity. text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is not underlined.] Co-Sponsors:

SEN.VA Joint Favorable Subst.

BERTHEL,-LCO 32ndLCO Dist.;{\\PRDFS1\SCOUSERS\FORZANOF\WS\2019SB-00778-4 of 4 R02-SB.docx }

SEN.

SAMPSON, 16th Dist.

SEN.

KISSEL, 7th Dist.;

REP.

ZAWISTOWSKI, 61st Dist.

S.B.

778 LCO No.

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