BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    �



                                                                  SB 1127
                                                                  Page  1

          Date of Hearing:   August 6, 2014

                        ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
                                  Mike Gatto, Chair

                    SB 1127 (Torres) - As Amended:  June 15, 2014 

          Policy Committee:                             Public  
          SafetyVote:7-0
                       Aging                                  6-0

          Urgency:     No                   State Mandated Local Program:   
          No     Reimbursable:               

           SUMMARY  

          This bill adds persons who are developmentally disabled or  
          cognitively impaired to the Silver Alert notification system,  
          which authorizes a law enforcement agency to request the  
          California Highway Patrol (CHP) to activate said alert when a  
          person over the age of 65 is reported missing and the law  
          enforcement agency believes the person is in danger as a result  
          of specified conditions.   

          This bill also deletes the January 1, 2016 sunset on the Silver  
          Alert program, thereby extending operation of these provisions  
          indefinitely.

           FISCAL EFFECT  

          1)CHP indicates costs to expand Silver Alerts to developmentally  
            disabled and cognitively impaired persons would be absorbable;  
            CHP already has procedures for endangered missing advisories  
            for this cohort.

          2)Ongoing costs to extend the Silver Alert system indefinitely  
            would be absorbable, as current staffing levels for CHP's  
            Emergency Notification and Tactical Alert Center (ENTAC),  
            which covers Amber and Silver Alerts, would not be affected. 

           COMMENTS  

           1)Rationale  . The author contends adding endangered and missing  
            persons with developmental disabilities and cognitive  
            impairments to the existing Silver Alert system is a  








                                                                  SB 1127
                                                                  Page  2

            cost-effective way enhance efforts to protect this at-risk  
            population. 

           2)Silver Alert  , created by SB 1047 (Alquist, Statutes of 2012)  
            is a notification system designed to issue and coordinate  
            alerts for missing persons 65 years of age or older. A law  
            enforcement agency may request a Silver Alert if that agency  
            determines that all of the following conditions are met in  
            regard to the investigation of the missing person:

             a)   The missing person is 65 years of age or older.
             b)   The investigating law agency has utilized all available  
               local resources.
             c)   The agency determines the person is missing under  
               unexplained circumstances.
             d)   The agency believes the person is in danger because of  
               age, health, mental or physical disability, environment or  
               weather conditions, or other circumstances.
             e)   There is available information that, if disseminated,  
               could assist in the safe recovery of the missing person.  

           Analysis Prepared by  :    Geoff Long / APPR. / (916) 319-2081