SB 179-MISSING VULNERABLE ADULT RESPONSE PLAN  CHAIR WIELECHOWSKI announced the consideration of SB 179. 10:04:18 AM SENATOR BETTYE DAVIS, sponsor of SB 179, said the legislation is similar to the Amber Alert, but is for vulnerable missing adults rather than children. About 20 states currently have similar legislation. The bill has a zero fiscal note. 10:06:17 AM CELESTE HODGE, staff, Senator Bettye Davis, provided information on SB 179 on behalf of the sponsor. She read from the following sponsor statement: SB 179 creates a new statewide alert system to help find vulnerable missing adults. The system, which is similar to the nationwide Amber Alert program, would help local law enforcement notify the public when a mentally or physically impaired Alaskan goes missing. According to the Alaska Commission on Aging, there were approximately 7,785 Alaskans suffering from Alzheimer's Disease and related dementia in 2010, and that number is expected to grow to more than 17,000 by 2030. Alaska has the fastest growing senior population in the nation. Recently, in Fairbanks, a 63-year-old woman suffering from Alzheimer's Disease froze to death after she became disoriented while driving, ran out of gas, and tried walking several miles to seek help. This incident and several others like it demonstrate the need for an alert system to assist in the search for missing vulnerable adults. When a vulnerable adult goes missing, his or her best chance of survival is if someone finds them within 24 to 48 hours. The bill calls for the Department of Military Affairs to coordinate with Department of Public Safety to create and implement prompt response and notification plans that would use a voluntary network of statewide and local newspapers as well as radio and television stations to rapidly alert the public that a vulnerable adult is missing. The bill also calls for both departments to establish standards on what triggers an alert and when a vulnerable adult is officially considered missing. This legislation would ensure the search for Alaska's most vulnerable citizens happens a lot faster. Currently, there are 28 states that have implemented or will implement Silver Alert programs, an increase in 10 states since the National Association of States for Aging and Disabilities last report. MS. HODGES stated that the fiscal note has zero impact. She urged support of the bill. CHAIR WIELECHOWSKI said there were ten people waiting to testify on the bill. SENATOR GIESSEL asked if the alert system currently exists. MS. HODGE said it did not. 10:10:00 AM MICHAEL O'HARE, Deputy Director, Homeland Security and Emergency Management Department of Military and Veterans Administration (DMVA) Fort Richardson, Alaska, pointed out that there currently is an Amber Alert system in place in Alaska. It is a statewide relay system activated by the Department of Public Safety (DPS). MR. O'HARE related that DMVA has no problem with the bill. The bill requires that DMVA cooperate with DPS to put together a Silver Alert plan. Both departments are on the Emergency Alert System (EAS) committee. The EAS is antiquated and may not work in remote areas; however, a new system is forthcoming which would allow for a regional alert approach. SENATOR KOOKESH asked if DMVA supports the bill. MR. O'HARE said absolutely. 10:13:39 AM MARIE DARLIN, AARP, Juneau, Alaska, spoke in support of SB 179. She voiced concern about educating family caregivers about how to respond when an elderly person is missing. 10:15:30 AM LESLIE THOMPSON, Planner I, Alaska Commission on Aging, Juneau, Alaska, testified in support of SB 179. She said that the number one concern of caregivers is what to do if a vulnerable adult goes missing. She noted that people with Alzheimer's are at great risk because they do wander. LT. RODNEY DIAL, Alaska State Troopers, Ketchikan, Alaska, spoke in support of SB 179. 10:18:22 AM PATRICK CUNNINGHAM, Professor, University of Alaska, Anchorage, testified in support of SB 179. He spoke of the benefits provided in the bill for adults with cognitive disorders, mental disabilities, and brain injuries. NANCY BURKE, Trust Program Officer, Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority (AMHTA), Anchorage, Alaska, testified in support of SB 179. She spoke of her organization's efforts to keep vulnerable adults who wander, safe. 10:20:34 AM RANDI CHAPMAN, Director of State Affairs, National Alzheimer's Association, Washington, D.C., testified in support of SB 179. She emphasized the importance of local searching techniques. DULCE NOBRE, Executive Director, Alzheimer's Resource of Alaska, Palmer, Alaska, testified in support of SB 179. She spoke of the dangers of wandering behavior. The organization provides education and strategies for family care givers, but needs assistance with these situations. 10:23:26 AM KATHRYN MONFREDA, Chief, Criminal Records & Identification Bureau, Department of Public Safety, offered to answer questions about the zero fiscal note for SB 179. SENATOR GIESSEL noted the broadness of the bill with use of the language "vulnerable adults." CHAIR WIELECHOWSKI said a definition exists in statute. MS. HODGE read the definition of vulnerable adult: "A vulnerable adult is classified under state law as a person who is at least 18 years old, and, because of a physical or mental impairment, is unable to meet the person's own needs or to seek help without assistance." CHAIR WIELECHOWSKI stated he would hold SB 179 in committee.