HB 2281
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ARIZONA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Fifty-seventh Legislature
First Regular Session
HB 2281: missing indigenous person; alert system
Sponsor: Representative Martinez, LD 16
Committee on Transportation & Infrastructure
Overview
Establishes the Missing Indigenous Person Alert System and outlines requirements for the
Arizona Department of Public Safety (DPS) to activate the emergency alert system.
History
The silver alert notification system alerts the report of a missing person who is 65 or older or
who has a developmental disability. DPS must request an activation of the emergency alert
system and issue a silver alert if:
1) the missing person is 65 or older or who has a developmental disability, Alzheimer's
disease or dementia;
2) the law enforcement agency investigating the missing person report has used all
available local resources, has determined that the person has gone missing under
unexplained or suspicious circumstances and believes that the missing person is in
danger because of age, health, mental or physical disability, environment, weather
conditions, that the missing person is in the company of a potentially dangerous
person or that there are other factors indicating that the missing person may be in
peril;
3) there is information available that, if disseminated to the public, could assist in the
safe recovery of the missing person; and
4) DPS has been designated to use the federally authorized emergency alert system for
the issuance of silver alerts (A.R.S. § 41-1728).
Immediately or within 24 hours after receiving a report, DPS must request the appropriate
law enforcement agency to determine if the situation meets amber alert criteria or silver alert
criteria. The appropriate law enforcement agency must document its response regarding
amber alert or silver alert criteria (A.R.S. § 8-810).
The 2003 National Amber Alert Network Act requires the Attorney General to assign an
amber alert coordinator of the Department of Justice to act as the national coordinator of the
amber alert communications network regarding abducted children.
Provisions
1. Requires DPS to establish the Missing Indigenous Person Alert System as a quick
response system designed to issue and coordinate alerts following the report of a missing
indigenous person. (Sec. 1)
☐ Prop 105 (45 votes) ☐ Prop 108 (40 votes) ☐ Emergency (40 votes) ☐ Fiscal Note HB 2281
Initials LM/KL Page 2 Transportation & Infrastructure
2. Mandates DPS to request an activation of the emergency alert system, on the request of
an authorized person at a law enforcement agency that is investigating a report of a
missing indigenous person, if:
a) the missing person is indigenous;
b) the law enforcement agency investigating the missing indigenous person report has
used all available local resources, has determined that the person has gone missing
under unexplained or suspicious circumstances and believes that the missing
indigenous person is in danger, that the missing indigenous person is in the company
of a potentially dangerous person or that there are other factors indicating that the
missing person may be in peril;
c) there is information available that, if disseminated to the public, could assist in the
safe recovery of the missing indigenous person; and
d) DPS has been designated to use the federally authorized emergency alert system for
the issuance of missing indigenous person alerts. (Sec 1)
3. Direct DPS, if it issues a missing indigenous person alert, to provide the missing
indigenous person alert information to any other entity that provides similar notifications
in this state. (Sec. 1)