SSSB 36: "An Act relating to missing vulnerable adult prompt response and notification plans."
00 SPONSOR SUBSTITUTE FOR SENATE BILL NO. 36 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 develop and implement plans for use by law 06 enforcement agencies to use statewide and local radio and television broadcasts, 07 newspapers, and other communications media, other than an emergency alert system 08 operated by the Department of Military and Veterans' Affairs, to locate a vulnerable 09 adult who is missing. The plans must, at least, include standards for 10 (1) determining when it is appropriate to implement a prompt response 11 and notification plan; standards developed under this paragraph must, at least, address 12 (A) procedures for a person to follow when notifying a state or 13 local law enforcement agency that a vulnerable adult may be missing; 14 (B) when a vulnerable adult will be considered missing; and 15 (C) the format, contents, and distribution of reports by law 16 enforcement agencies searching for a missing vulnerable adult; 17 (2) procedures for a state or local law enforcement agency to request 18 dissemination of a missing vulnerable adult report through outlets specified in a 19 missing vulnerable adult prompt response and notification plan; 20 (3) where to implement the plan; and 21 (4) the voluntary participation of radio and television broadcasters, 22 newspaper publishers, and owners or operators of other communications media in the 23 plan. 24 (b) Notwithstanding another provision of law, 25 (1) a person is not civilly liable for 26 (A) failing to participate in a missing vulnerable adult prompt 27 response and notification plan; 28 (B) failing to implement a missing vulnerable adult prompt 29 response and notification plan; or 30 (C) activating a missing vulnerable adult prompt response and 31 notification plan if implementation is undertaken in good faith;
01 (2) a radio or television broadcaster, newspaper publisher, or owner or 02 operator of other communications media is not civilly liable for participating in a 03 missing vulnerable adult prompt response and notification plan or for participating in 04 the actual implementation of a plan if the broadcaster, publisher, or owner or operator 05 has verified the authenticity of that implementation with the law enforcement agency 06 searching for the missing vulnerable adult. 07 (c) In this section, "vulnerable adult" has the meaning given in AS 47.24.900.