00                            SENATE BILL NO. 179                                                                         
01 "An Act relating to missing vulnerable adult prompt response and notification plans."                                   
02 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:                                                                
03    * Section 1. AS 44.35.020(a) is amended to read:                                                                   
04            (a)  The Department of Military and Veterans' Affairs shall                                                  
05                 (1)  conduct the military affairs of the state as prescribed by the                                     
06       Military Code;                                                                                                    
07                 (2)  cooperate with the federal government in matters of mutual                                         
08       concern pertaining to the welfare of Alaskan veterans, including establishing,                                    
09       extending, or strengthening services for veterans in the state; [AND]                                             
10                 (3)  annually, not later than February 1, make available a report to the                                
11       legislature, through the governor, outlining the department's activities during the                               
12       previous calendar year; the department shall notify the legislature that the report is                            
13       available; and                                                                                                
14                 (4)  cooperate with the Department of Public Safety to develop and                                  
15       implement vulnerable adult prompt response and notification plans under                                       

01       AS 44.41.060.                                                                                                 
02    * Sec. 2. AS 44.41 is amended by adding a new section to read:                                                     
03            Sec. 44.41.060. Missing vulnerable adult prompt response and notification                                  
04       plans. (a) The Department of Public Safety, in cooperation with the Department of                               
05       Military and Veterans' Affairs, shall, using statewide and local radio and television                             
06       broadcasters and newspaper publishers, develop missing vulnerable adult prompt                                    
07       response and notification plans for use by law enforcement to locate a vulnerable adult                           
08       who is missing, or who has disappeared, and coordinate the use of those plans. The                                
09       plans must, at a minimum, include standards                                                                       
10                 (1)  for determining when implementation of a notification plan would                                   
11       be appropriate; at a minimum, these standards must address                                                        
12                      (A)  when a vulnerable adult is to be considered missing; and                                      
13                      (B)  the format, contents, and distribution process of reports                                     
14            prepared by participating law enforcement agencies searching for a missing                                   
15            vulnerable adult;                                                                                            
16                 (2)  for determining the proper area in which the plan is to be                                         
17       implemented;                                                                                                      
18                 (3)  providing for the voluntary participation of radio and television                                  
19       broadcasters and newspaper publishers in the plan.                                                                
20            (b)  Notwithstanding another provision of law,                                                               
21                 (1)  a law enforcement agency is not civilly liable for                                                 
22                      (A)  failing to participate in a missing vulnerable adult prompt                                   
23            response and notification plan;                                                                              
24                      (B)  failing to implement a missing vulnerable adult prompt                                        
25            response and notification plan; or                                                                           
26                      (C)  activating a missing vulnerable adult prompt response and                                     
27            notification plan if implementation is undertaken in good faith;                                             
28                 (2)  a radio or television broadcaster or newspaper publisher is not                                    
29       civilly liable for participating in a missing vulnerable adult prompt response and                                
30       notification plan or for participating in the actual implementation of a plan if the                              
31       broadcaster or publisher has verified the authenticity of that implementation with the                            

01       law enforcement agency.                                                                                           
02            (c)  In this section, "vulnerable adult" has the meaning given in AS 47.24.900.