Bill Text: WV HB2984 | 2015 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Creating a Silver Alert program for senior citizens
Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Republican 7-2)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2015-02-24 - To House Senior Citizen Issues [HB2984 Detail]
Download: West_Virginia-2015-HB2984-Introduced.html
H. B. 2984
(By Delegates Storch,Westfall, Pethtel Gearheart, Howell, Rowan,
D. Evans, Zatezalo and Fluharty)
[Introduced February 24, 2015; referred to the
Committee on Senior Citizen Issues then the Judiciary.]
A BILL to amend and reenact §15-3B-3 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, relating to creating a Silver Alert program for senior citizens; defining a term; and providing an establishment date.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That §15-3B-3 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, be amended and reenacted to read as follows:
ARTICLE 3B. SILVER ALERT PLAN.
§15-3B-3. Establishment of "Silver Alert" program; cognitively impaired; seniors.
(a) The Secretary of the Department of Military Affairs and Public Safety shall establish a "Silver Alert" program authorizing the broadcast media, upon notice from the State Police, to broadcast an alert to inform the public of a missing cognitively impaired person or a missing senior citizen. The program shall be a voluntary, cooperative effort between state law-enforcement and the broadcast media.
(b) For the purposes of this article, the term "cognitively impaired" means a person having a deficiency in his or her short-term or long-term memory, orientation as to person, place, and time, deductive or abstract reasoning, or judgment as it relates to safety: Provided, That the cognitive impairment is not caused by the use of alcohol or drugs not legally prescribed by a physician. For the purposes of this article, the term "senior citizen" means a person over fifty-five years of age.
(c) The secretary shall notify the broadcast media serving the State of West Virginia of the establishment of "Silver Alert" program and invite their voluntary participation.
(d) The secretary shall submit a plan to the Joint Committee on Government and Finance no later than December 1, 2009. The plan shall include "Silver Alert" activation protocols, evaluation of first responder training requirements and needs as related to cognitively impaired persons and senior citizens, coordination and utilization of established programs and analysis of any costs. The secretary shall also make recommendations for any additional legislation or actions necessary to further facilitate the implementation of the "Silver Alert" program.
(e) The secretary shall add senior citizens to the "Silver Alert" program and establish the appropriate protocols no later than November 1, 2015.
NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to add senior citizens to the Silver Alert program . The bill defines a term and provides an establishment date.
Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from the present law, and underscoring indicates new language that would be added.
