SB 36-MISSING VULNERABLE ADULT RESPONSE PLAN  1:42:07 PM CHAIR COGHILL announced the consideration of SB 36. [SSSB 36 was before the committee.] 1:42:26 PM SENATOR JOHNNY ELLIS, sponsor of SB 36, thanked the committee for hearing the bill and Senator Dyson for joining him as a co- sponsor. He noted that a similar version of the bill passed the Senate last year 20 to zero. He said the bill has a zero fiscal note and the only criticism is why hasn't this already been done. Alaska has a growing senior population and is one of the last states to take action in this regard. He continued the introduction paraphrasing the following sponsor statement: This bill would ensure that the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs works together with the Department of Public Safety to develop plans for state and local law enforcement to quickly notify the media, the public, and other law enforcement agencies when a vulnerable adult goes missing. A Silver Alert program here in Alaska, we believe, would establish clear and consistent lines of communication and develop efficient procedures for citizens, law enforcement, and media outlets to follow in this situation. We believe the preparation in this bill will ensure we maintain an efficient system for activating rapid searches and media alerts for a senior citizen with Alzheimer's disease or dementia, or an adult with mental disabilities when they are missing, even when law enforcement agencies may be burdened by high response demands in other areas or if they may lose experienced officers to retirement or turnover. Thirty-eight other states have established Silver Alerts or even more extensive missing persons response programs. Despite this, Alaska has still not taken the opportunity to design a dedicated response and notification program for our senior citizens and disabled adults when they go missing. We believe that due to the rapidly growing senior population here, it is imperative that we establish this program to allow our seniors and disabled adults to continue to live and retire here, which they are increasingly choosing to do alongside their families and children. We have seen what this program can do in other states. Just this past August, the Mississippi Highway Patrol, which operates the Silver Alert in Mississippi, praises their Silver Alert program for helping them save just three lives in a month. SENATOR ELLIS stated that an Alaska Silver Alert program would pose no additional cost to the state, but would be invaluable for reducing response times when adults with dementias or other cognitive disabilities go missing. He relayed that both the Alaska Broadcasters Association and public safety agencies have given input. The expectation is that this program will be a boost to law enforcement and that all media outlets will be happy to broadcast a missing vulnerable adult report that has been thoroughly but promptly vetted by law enforcement. Broadcasters emphasized the importance of proper vetting and that concept went into the drafting of the bill. SENATOR ELLIS said that when a vulnerable adult goes missing, their best chance of being found alive is to be located within 24-48 hours. He noted that these searches can cost federal taxpayers up to $1,500 per hour. He offered to answer questions about the differences between the previous version and the proposed committee substitute (CS). 1:47:05 PM CHAIR COGHILL asked for a motion to adopt the proposed committee substitute. 1:47:15 PM SENATOR MCGUIRE moved to adopt the work draft CS for SSSB 36, labeled 28-LS0338\C, for discussion purposes. CHAIR COGHILL found no objection and announced that version C was before the committee. He asked if the differences related to definitions. SENATOR ELLIS said yes. He explained that the legislature voted to expand the definition of "vulnerable adult" in the governor's anti-trafficking bill last year, but law enforcement expressed concern with that expanded definition in the context of this legislation. He suggested his staff give a brief explanation. 1:48:14 PM NATHAN ZENCEY, Staff to Senator Johnny Ellis, sponsor of SB 36, explained that public safety wanted to return to the more limited definition of "vulnerable adult" solely for the purposes of this legislation. He read the following definition in the proposed AS 44.41.060(2)(d): In this section, "vulnerable adult" means a person 18 years of age or older who, because of physical or mental impairment, is unable to meet the person's own needs or to seek help without assistance. Public safety expressed a preference for this definition to avoid the potential for both misuse and over use. The sponsor and advocates support this change. CHAIR COGHILL recalled the discussion about the overly broad definition and that it could limit the effectiveness of the silver alerts. 1:49:57 PM SENATOR MCGUIRE asked if any thought was given to saying "vulnerable senior." MR. ZENCEY said that while that designation would account for a large proportion of the alerts, advocates and the sponsor feel it is important to include people with cognitive disabilities in the category of vulnerable adults. SENATOR ELLIS added that he agrees with the previous committee that thought that people with PTSD should be considered vulnerable adults. 1:50:58 PM SENATOR DYSON asked if other states with similar programs use electronic tracking devices. MR. ZENCEY offered to follow up with the information. SENATOR DYSON said that wasn't necessary and noted that audience members were nodding. SENATOR MCGUIRE asked who is covered by the definition and if public safety believes that covering that number of people will be manageable. SENATOR ELLIS explained that the legislation covers seniors with Alzheimer's and other dementias, adults with cognitive impairments, and adults with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The bill seeks to comport with the desires of the broadcasters and not have a program that overloads the system and places too many demands on law enforcement. Referencing Senator Dyson's question, he explained that the bill takes a system approach for emergency alerts rather than individual tracking. 1:56:16 PM DENISE DANIELLO, Executive Director, Alaska Commission on Aging, Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS), testified in support of SB 36. She explained that the commission is charged by statute to provide services for seniors, educate Alaskans about senior issues, and provide recommendations to the governor and legislature regarding regulations, legislation and appropriations for programs serving senior Alaskans. She said that wandering is a common symptom for people with dementias and it's not uncommon for these people to become lost and disoriented. According to statistics from the national Alzheimer's Association, about 60 percent of people with Alzheimer's disease may suffer from wandering during the course of the disease. In Alaska, this can have life or death consequences. MS DANIELLO provided some statistics. About 6,140 Alaskans age 65 and older have some type of dementia, and that population will likely triple over the next 20 years. About 1 in 9 older Alaskans may have dementia, and about 1 in 2 people age 85 and older may have Alzheimer's disease. According to the 2013 Alzheimer's disease report, about 1 in 3 elders will die with symptoms of dementia. She reported that the commission conducted seven forums statewide and found a top concern was the need to improve public safety for people with dementias through a silver alert or community response system. MS. DANIELLO concluded that the commission supports SB 36 because it will promote greater awareness and provide effective tools to help find people with dementias. 2:00:12 PM CHAIR COGHILL asked how people communicate now if somebody with dementia is missing. MS. DANIELLO offered her understanding that there isn't a formal plan to respond to people who are missing. 2:01:24 PM RODNEY DIAL, Lieutenant, Alaska State Troopers, Department of Public Safety (DPS), Ketchikan, AK, reported that DPS supports the changes made to SB 36 and believes it is manageable. The number of people it covers would not be so great as to discourage media participation or desensitize the public to the alerts. He explained that the department currently maintains emergency and media contact lists and plans at all Trooper posts that can be used in all missing person cases. He opined that the legislation could be of benefit to municipalities or smaller departments that don't have a plan in place. 2:02:39 PM MARIE DARLIN, AARP of Alaska, testified in support of SB 36. She noted that the AARP state office submitted written testimony that included examples of what happens without a system for locating missing persons. She said that the best solution now for locating somebody who is missing is to alert the neighbors. The Amber Alert for locating missing children has worked and a similar system should work for locating vulnerable adults who are missing, she said. 2:04:57 PM MICHAEL VANVLEET, Social Work Intern, Warrior Transition Unit, Soldier and Family Assistance, testified in support of SB 36. He informed the committee that he was a student at UAA and had served in the Marine Corps. He opined that the individuals in the Warrior Transition Unit and active duty military with traumatic brain injury would benefit from this legislation. He related that many members of the military between the ages of 18 and 24 have severe cognitive impairment and sometimes wander and don't know where they are because of their injuries. 2:08:05 PM CHAIR COGHILL announced his intention to hold SB 36 in committee and take action on Friday.