Rep. Sandra M. Pihos
Filed: 3/3/2009
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| 1 | AMENDMENT TO HOUSE BILL 772
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| 2 | AMENDMENT NO. ______. Amend House Bill 772 by replacing | ||||||
| 3 | everything after the enacting clause with the following:
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| 4 | "Section 5. The Department of State Police Law of the
Civil | ||||||
| 5 | Administrative Code of Illinois is amended by adding Section | ||||||
| 6 | 2605-485 as follows: | ||||||
| 7 | (20 ILCS 2605/2605-485 new) | ||||||
| 8 | Sec. 2605-485. Silver Alert program; Silver Alert | ||||||
| 9 | Coordinator. | ||||||
| 10 | (a) A coordinated program known as the Silver Alert System | ||||||
| 11 | is established within the Department of State Police. The | ||||||
| 12 | purpose of the Silver Alert System is to provide a regional | ||||||
| 13 | system for the rapid dissemination of information regarding a | ||||||
| 14 | missing person who is believed to be suffering from dementia or | ||||||
| 15 | a similar cognitive impairment. | ||||||
| 16 | (b) If the Department of State Police receives a report | ||||||
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| 1 | that involves a missing person who is believed to be suffering | ||||||
| 2 | from dementia or a similar cognitive impairment, for the | ||||||
| 3 | protection of the missing person from potential abuse or other | ||||||
| 4 | physical harm, neglect, or exploitation, the Department of | ||||||
| 5 | State Police shall issue an alert providing for the rapid | ||||||
| 6 | dissemination of information within the region where the | ||||||
| 7 | missing person was last seen regarding the missing person. The | ||||||
| 8 | Department of State Police shall make every effort to | ||||||
| 9 | disseminate the information as quickly as possible when (i) the | ||||||
| 10 | missing person is at least 55 years old or the missing person | ||||||
| 11 | is less than 55 years old and a law enforcement officer | ||||||
| 12 | determines that an alert is necessary and (ii) the person's | ||||||
| 13 | status as missing has been reported to a law enforcement | ||||||
| 14 | agency. | ||||||
| 15 | (c) The Department of State Police shall adopt guidelines | ||||||
| 16 | and develop procedures for issuing an alert for missing persons | ||||||
| 17 | believed to be suffering from dementia or a similar cognitive | ||||||
| 18 | impairment. The Department of State Police, in coordination | ||||||
| 19 | with the Illinois Department on Aging, shall develop and | ||||||
| 20 | implement a community outreach program to promote awareness | ||||||
| 21 | among the State's healthcare facilities, nursing homes, | ||||||
| 22 | assisted living facilities, and other senior centers. The | ||||||
| 23 | guidelines and procedures shall ensure that specific health | ||||||
| 24 | information about the missing person is not made public through | ||||||
| 25 | the alert or otherwise. | ||||||
| 26 | (d) The Department of State Police, in consultation with | ||||||
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| 1 | the Illinois Department of Transportation, shall develop a | ||||||
| 2 | procedure for the use of electronic message signs on roads and | ||||||
| 3 | highways to provide information on a missing person that meets | ||||||
| 4 | the criteria provided under this Section. The system may | ||||||
| 5 | include, but is not limited to, the use of Illinois Department | ||||||
| 6 | of Transportation electronic message signs to immediately | ||||||
| 7 | provide critical information to the public. | ||||||
| 8 | (e) The Department of State Police shall appoint a Silver | ||||||
| 9 | Alert Coordinator to assist in the establishment of State | ||||||
| 10 | standards and to monitor the availability of federal funding | ||||||
| 11 | that may become available to further the objectives of the | ||||||
| 12 | Silver Alert System. The Silver Alert Coordinator shall have | ||||||
| 13 | the qualifications and experience that the Department of State | ||||||
| 14 | Police shall require by rule. The Silver Alert Coordinator | ||||||
| 15 | shall receive no compensation but shall be reimbursed for his | ||||||
| 16 | or her expenses from the Department's operations budget. No | ||||||
| 17 | funds shall be appropriated solely for the expenses of the | ||||||
| 18 | Silver Alert Coordinator. The Department may in its discretion | ||||||
| 19 | have the Child Safety Coordinator, created under Section | ||||||
| 20 | 2605-480 of the Department of State Police Law, act in the dual | ||||||
| 21 | capacity of Child Safety Coordinator and Silver Alert | ||||||
| 22 | Coordinator. The Department shall provide technical assistance | ||||||
| 23 | for the Silver Alert Coordinator from its existing resources. | ||||||
| 24 | (f) The Department shall establish a Silver Alert System | ||||||
| 25 | Task Force to monitor and review the implementation and | ||||||
| 26 | operation of the system developed under subsection (a), | ||||||
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| 1 | including procedures, budgetary requirements, and response | ||||||
| 2 | protocols. The Task Force shall also develop additional network | ||||||
| 3 | resources for use in the system. The Department of State Police | ||||||
| 4 | may in its discretion have the AMBER Plan Task Force, | ||||||
| 5 | established under Section 2605-480 of the Department of State | ||||||
| 6 | Police Law, serve in a dual capacity as the Silver Alert System | ||||||
| 7 | Task Force. | ||||||
| 8 | (g) Any person who intentionally or knowingly files a false | ||||||
| 9 | report that a missing person is believed to be suffering from | ||||||
| 10 | dementia or a similar cognitive impairment is guilty of a Class | ||||||
| 11 | C misdemeanor. | ||||||
| 12 | Section 10. The Department of Transportation Law of the
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| 13 | Civil Administrative Code of Illinois is amended by changing | ||||||
| 14 | Section 2705-505.5 as follows:
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| 15 | (20 ILCS 2705/2705-505.5)
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| 16 | Sec. 2705-505.5. Child abduction and silver alert message | ||||||
| 17 | signs. The Department of
Transportation
shall coordinate with | ||||||
| 18 | the Department of State Police in the use of electronic
message
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| 19 | signs on roads and highways in the vicinity of a child | ||||||
| 20 | abduction, or near the location where a person believed to be | ||||||
| 21 | suffering from dementia or a similar cognitive impairment was | ||||||
| 22 | last seen, as provided under Section 2605-485 of the Department | ||||||
| 23 | of State Police Law, to immediately
provide
critical | ||||||
| 24 | information to the public.
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| 1 | (Source: P.A. 93-310, eff. 7-23-03.)
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| 2 | Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon | ||||||
| 3 | becoming law.".
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