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Connecticut Senate Bill SB00778

Connecticut 2019 Regular Session

Connecticut Senate Bill SB00778 Compare Versions

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7-General Assembly Substitute Bill No. 778
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5+LCO No. 5056 1 of 5
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7+General Assembly Committee Bill No. 778
88 January Session, 2019
9+LCO No. 5056
10+
11+
12+Referred to Committee on VETERANS' AFFAIRS
13+
14+
15+Introduced by:
16+(VA)
917
1018
1119
1220 AN ACT ESTABLISHING A GREEN ALERT SYSTEM FOR MIS SING
1321 VETERANS.
1422 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
1523 Assembly convened:
1624
1725 Section 1. (NEW) (Effective October 1, 2019) (a) As used in this 1
1826 section: 2
1927 (1) "Missing veteran" means any person who is reported to, or 3
2028 identified by, a law enforcement agency as a missing person and is a 4
2129 veteran. 5
2230 (2) "Veteran" means any person who served in the armed forces, as 6
2331 defined in subsection (a) of section 27-103 of the general statutes. 7
2432 (3) "Green Alert" means an alert issued through the Green Alert 8
2533 communications network, as established in subsection (b) of this 9
2634 section. 10
2735 (b) The Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection 11
2836 shall, within available appropriations, establish and administer a 12
2937 communications network, to be known as the Green Alert 13
30-communications network, to provide assistance to a state or local law 14
31-enforcement agency searching for any missing veteran. 15
38+communications network, to provide assistance to the search efforts of 14
39+Committee Bill No. 778
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44+a state or local law enforcement agency for any missing veteran. 15
3245 (c) (1) The Commissioner of Emergency Services and Public 16
3346 Protection shall designate an employee of the Department of 17
34-Emergency Services and Public Protection to act as the coordinator of 18 Substitute Bill No. 778
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47+Emergency Services and Public Protection to act as the coordinator of 18
4148 the Green Alert communications network. 19
4249 (2) The coordinator of the Green Alert communications network 20
4350 shall develop proposed protocols for efforts to recover missing 21
4451 veterans and to reduce the number of veterans who are reported 22
4552 missing, including protocols for procedures that are needed from the 23
4653 time of initial notification of a law enforcement agency that the veteran 24
4754 is missing through the time of the return of the veteran to his or her 25
4855 family or conservator. 26
4956 (d) Not later than October 1, 2020, and annually thereafter, the 27
5057 coordinator of the Green Alert communications network shall submit 28
51-to the joint standing committees of the General Assembly having 29
52-cognizance of matters relating to military and veterans' affairs and 30
53-public safety, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a of the 31
54-general statutes, a report on the activities of the coordinator, the 32
55-number of Green Alerts issued, the number of individuals located 33
56-successfully, the average period of time between the issuance of a 34
57-Green Alert and the location of the individual for whom such alert was 35
58-issued and any other information that the coordinator deems 36
59-appropriate. 37
60-(e) (1) The Department of Emergency Services and Public 38
61-Protection, in consultation with the Department of Veterans Affairs 39
62-and the Military Department, shall adopt regulations in accordance 40
63-with the provisions of chapter 54 of the general statutes to establish 41
64-minimum standards for (A) the issuance of alerts through the Green 42
65-Alert communications network, and (B) the extent of the dissemination 43
66-of alerts issued through the network. 44
67-(2) The minimum standards shall provide that: 45
68-(A) Appropriate information relating to the special needs of a 46
69-missing veteran, including health care needs, are disseminated to the 47
70-appropriate state or local law enforcement agency; 48
71-(B) Dissemination of an alert through the Green Alert 49 Substitute Bill No. 778
58+to the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having 29
59+cognizance of matters relating to military and veterans' affairs and the 30
60+joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance 31
61+of matters relating to public safety, in accordance with the provisions 32
62+of section 11-4a of the general statutes, a report on the activities of the 33
63+coordinator, the number of Green Alerts issued, the number of 34
64+individuals located successfully, the average period of time between 35
65+the issuance of a Green Alert and the location of the individual for 36
66+whom such alert was issued and any other information that the 37
67+coordinator deems appropriate. 38
68+(e) (1) The Department of Emergency Services an d Public 39
69+Protection, in consultation with the Department of Veterans Affairs 40
70+and the Military Department, shall adopt regulations in accordance 41
71+with the provisions of chapter 54 to establish minimum standards for 42
72+(A) the issuance of alerts through the Green Alert communications 43
73+network, and (B) the extent of the dissemination of alerts issued 44
74+through the network. 45
75+Committee Bill No. 778
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78-communications network be limited to the geographic areas that the 50
79-missing veteran could reasonably reach, considering the missing 51
80-veteran's circumstances and physical and mental condition, the modes 52
81-of transportation available to the missing veteran and the 53
82-circumstances of the disappearance; 54
83-(C) Alerts issued through the Green Alert communications network 55
84-comply with all applicable federal, state and local privacy laws and 56
85-regulations; and 57
86-(D) Civil liberties and sensitive medical information of missing 58
87-veterans are protected. 59
88-Sec. 2. Section 7-282c of the general statutes is repealed and the 60
89-following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2019): 61
90-Any municipal police department which receives a report of (1) a 62
91-missing child or missing youth under eighteen years of age, [or] (2) a 63
92-missing person who is eligible for assistance under subsection (a) of 64
93-section 29-1f, as amended by this act, or (3) a missing veteran, as 65
94-defined in subsection (a) of section 1 of this act, shall immediately 66
95-accept such report for filing and inform all on-duty police officers of 67
96-the existence of the missing child, missing youth, [or] missing person 68
97-or missing veteran report and communicate the report to other 69
98-appropriate law enforcement agencies. 70
99-Sec. 3. Section 29-1f of the general statutes is repealed and the 71
100-following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2019): 72
101-(a) The clearinghouse established under section 29-1e shall collect, 73
102-process, maintain and disseminate information to assist in the location 74
103-of any missing person who (1) is eighteen years of age or older and has 75
104-a mental impairment, [or] (2) is sixty-five years of age or older, or (3) is 76
105-a veteran, as defined in subsection (a) of section 1 of this act, provided 77
106-a missing person report prepared by the Department of Emergency 78
107-Services and Public Protection has been filed by such missing person's 79
108-relative, guardian, conservator or agent appointed by the missing 80 Substitute Bill No. 778
80+(2) (A) The minimum standards shall provide that appropriate 46
81+information relating to the special needs of a missing veteran, 47
82+including health care needs, are disseminated to the appropriate state 48
83+or local law enforcement agency. 49
84+(B) The minimum standards shall provide that the dissemination of 50
85+an alert through the Green Alert communications network be limited 51
86+to the geographic areas that the missing veteran could reasonably 52
87+reach, considering the missing veteran's circumstances and physical 53
88+and mental condition, the modes of transportation available to the 54
89+missing veteran and the circumstances of the disappearance. 55
90+(C) The minimum standards shall ensure that alerts issued through 56
91+the Green Alert communications network comply with all applicable 57
92+federal, state and local privacy laws and regulations. 58
93+(D) The minimum standards shall include standards that 59
94+specifically provide for the protection of the civil liberties and sensitive 60
95+medical information of missing veterans. 61
96+Sec. 2. Section 7-282c of the general statutes is repealed and the 62
97+following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2019): 63
98+Any municipal police department which receives a report of (1) a 64
99+missing child or missing youth under eighteen years of age, [or] (2) a 65
100+missing person who is eligible for assistance under subsection (a) of 66
101+section 29-1f, as amended by this act, or (3) a missing veteran, as 67
102+defined in subsection (a) of section 1 of this act, shall immediately 68
103+accept such report for filing and inform all on-duty police officers of 69
104+the existence of the missing child, missing youth, [or] missing person 70
105+or missing veteran report and communicate the report to other 71
106+appropriate law enforcement agencies. 72
107+Sec. 3. Section 29-1f of the general statutes is repealed and the 73
108+following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2019): 74
109+(a) The clearinghouse established under section 29-1e shall collect, 75
110+Committee Bill No. 778
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115-person in accordance with sections 1-350 to 1-353b, inclusive, any 81
116-health care representative appointed by the missing person in 82
117-accordance with section 19a-576 or a nursing home administrator, as 83
118-defined in section 19a-511, or, pursuant to section 17a-465b, by an 84
119-employee of the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services 85
120-who is certified under the provisions of sections 7-294a to 7-294e, 86
121-inclusive. Such relative, guardian, conservator, agent, health care 87
122-representative, nursing home administrator or employee shall attest 88
123-under penalty of perjury that the missing person (A) is eighteen years 89
124-of age or older and has a mental impairment, [or] (B) is sixty-five years 90
125-of age or older, or (C) is a veteran, as defined in subsection (a) of 91
126-section 1 of this act. No other proof shall be required in order to verify 92
127-that the missing person meets the criteria to be eligible for assistance 93
128-under this subsection. Such relative, guardian, conservator, agent, 94
129-health care representative, nursing home administrator or employee 95
130-who files a missing person report shall immediately notify the 96
131-clearinghouse or law enforcement agency if the missing person's 97
132-location has been determined. 98
133-(b) Subject to available resources, the clearinghouse established by 99
134-section 29-1e may collect, process, maintain and disseminate 100
135-information to assist in the location of missing persons other than 101
136-children and those persons who are eligible for assistance under 102
137-subsection (a) of this section. 103
115+process, maintain and disseminate information to assist in the location 76
116+of any missing person who (1) is eighteen years of age or older and has 77
117+a mental impairment, [or] (2) is sixty-five years of age or older, or (3) is 78
118+a veteran, as defined in subsection (a) of section 1 of this act, provided 79
119+a missing person report prepared by the Department of Emergency 80
120+Services and Public Protection has been filed by such missing person's 81
121+relative, guardian, conservator or agent appointed by the missing 82
122+person in accordance with sections 1-350 to 1-353b, inclusive, any 83
123+health care representative appointed by the missing person in 84
124+accordance with section 19a-576 or a nursing home administrator, as 85
125+defined in section 19a-511, or, pursuant to section 17a-465b, by an 86
126+employee of the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services 87
127+who is certified under the provisions of sections 7-294a to 7-294e, 88
128+inclusive. Such relative, guardian, conservator, agent, health care 89
129+representative, nursing home administrator or employee shall attest 90
130+under penalty of perjury that the missing person (A) is eighteen years 91
131+of age or older and has a mental impairment, [or] (B) is sixty-five years 92
132+of age or older, or (C) is a veteran, as defined in subsection (a) of 93
133+section 1 of this act. No other proof shall be required in order to verify 94
134+that the missing person meets the criteria to be eligible for assistance 95
135+under this subsection. Such relative, guardian, conservator, agent, 96
136+health care representative, nursing home administrator or employee 97
137+who files a missing person report shall immediately notify the 98
138+clearinghouse or law enforcement agency if the missing person's 99
139+location has been determined. 100
140+(b) Subject to available resources, the clearinghouse established by 101
141+section 29-1e may collect, process, maintain and disseminate 102
142+information to assist in the location of missing persons other than 103
143+children and those persons who are eligible for assistance under 104
144+subsection (a) of this section. 105
138145 This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
139146 sections:
147+
148+Committee Bill No. 778
149+
150+
151+LCO No. 5056 5 of 5
140152
141153 Section 1 October 1, 2019 New section
142154 Sec. 2 October 1, 2019 7-282c
143155 Sec. 3 October 1, 2019 29-1f
144156
145-Statement of Legislative Commissioners:
146-In Section 1, Subsec. (e)(2) was rewritten for clarity.
157+Statement of Purpose:
158+To establish a green alert system for locating missing veterans.
159+[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline,
160+except that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is
161+not underlined.]
147162
148-VA Joint Favorable Subst. -LCO
163+Co-Sponsors: SEN. BERTHEL, 32nd Dist.; SEN. SAMPSON, 16th Dist.
164+SEN. KISSEL, 7th Dist.; REP. ZAWISTOWSKI, 61st Dist.
165+
166+S.B. 778
167+
149168