National Silver Alert Program Protecting Seniors

Silver Alert

Modeled after the Amber Alert, the Silver Alert is an emergency system in which law enforcement can broadcast regional or statewide alerts for missing seniors and/or other adults with Alzheimer's or other cognitive disorders.

A growing number of states are enacting laws that call for the development of the Silver Alert program and some have implemented their own notification systems.

Activation criteria varies from state to state, see list below for information on the Silver Alert program in your state.

Alabama
Effective Date	March 25, 2009 AKA “Missing Senior Citizen Alert”
Administered By	Department of Public Safety
Age Requirement	Not specified
Phone	contact your local law enforcement agency
Website	http://community.dps.alabama.gov/Pages/wfAlertListing.aspx?Type=30&Status=5,10
Other	House Bill 33

Arizona
Effective Date	October 2008 AKA “Endangered Person Alert”
Administered By	Department of Public Safety
Age Requirement	Must be age 18 or older
Phone	contact your local law enforcement agency or (602) 223-2212
Website	http://www.azag.gov/press_releases/oct/2008/End%20Person%20Alert%20Info.pdf
Other

Arkansas
Effective Date	April 2009
Administered By	The Arkansas State Police, working with the Arkansas Sheriffs' Association and Arkansas Association of Chiefs of Police
Age Requirement	Adults with Alzheimer's or other cognitive disorders
Phone	contact your local law enforcement agency Arkansas State Police: 501-618-8000
Website	https://www.ark.org/asp/alerts/mnaa/silver.php
Other

Colorado
Effective Date	February 2007
Administered By	Colorado Department of Public Safety, Bureau of Investigation (CBI)
Age Requirement	Must be age 60 or older
Phone	contact your local law enforcement agency
Website	None
Other	House Bill 07-1005

Connecticut
Effective Date	July 1, 2009
Administered By	Department of Public Safety
Age Requirement	(1) anyone 65 or over and (2) anyone 18 or over who has a mental impairment
Phone	contact your local law enforcement agency
Website	None
Other	Senate Bill 451

Delaware
Effective Date	July 2008 AKA “Gold Alert Program”
Administered By	The initial decision to issue a local Gold Alert is at the discretion of the investigating law-enforcement agency.
Age Requirement	Must be age 60 or older
Phone	contact your local law enforcement agency
Website	None
Other	CHAPTER 85. STATE BUREAU OF IDENTIFICATION, Subchapter VII. Gold Alert Program for Certain Missing Persons

Florida
Effective Date	October 8, 2008
Administered By	Florida Department of Law Enforcement
Age Requirement	Must be age 60 or older
Phone	contact your local law enforcement agency
Website	http://www.fdle.state.fl.us/MCICSearch/Documents/SilverAlertFAQ.pdf
Other	House Bill HM 753

Georgia
Effective Date	April 2006 AKA “Mattie’s Call”
Administered By	Georgia Bureau of Investigation
Age Requirement	Missing disabled adults
Phone	contact your local law enforcement agency
Website	http://alerts.gbi.georgia.gov/00/channel_modifieddate/0,2096,67865199_74426401,00.html
Other	House Bill 728

Illinois
Effective Date	January 1, 2010 AKA “Endangered Missing Person Advisory Program”
Administered By	The Illinois Department on Aging (IDoA), in coordination with the Illinois State Police
Age Requirement	Older adults
Phone	contact your local law enforcement agency
Website	http://www.state.il.us/aging/1news_pubs/news/2009-1230.htm http://www.illinois.gov/PressReleases/ShowPressRelease.cfm?SubjectID=1&RecNum=8136
Other	Senate Bill 0027

Indiana
Effective Date	July 2009
Administered By	Indiana Clearinghouse for Information on Missing Children and Missing Endangered Adults
Age Requirement	Must be age 18 or older
Phone	contact your local law enforcement agency or 800-831-8953
Website	http://www.in.gov/silveralert/index.htm http://www.in.gov/silveralert/2331.htm
Other	Senate Bill 307

Kansas
Effective Date	July 30, 2009
Administered By	Kansas Bureau of Investigation Communications
Age Requirement	Must be age 65 or older
Phone	contact your local law enforcement agency
Website	http://www.ksag.org/files/SilverAlertProtocol.pdf http://www.ksag.org/page/attorney-general-establishes-silver-alert-protocol
Other	SHL Resolution No. 2506

Kentucky
Effective Date	July 2008 AKA “Golden Alert”
Administered By	Kentucky Division of Emergency Management
Age Requirement	Must be age 18 or older
Phone	Contact your local law enforcement agency or (502) 607-1638
Website	none
Other	Senate Bill 125

Louisiana
Effective Date	July 2008
Administered By	Department of Public Safety and Corrections
Age Requirement	Must be age 60 or older
Phone	Contact your local law enforcement agency
Website	none
Other	House Bill 1378

Maine
Effective Date	April 12, 2010
Administered By	Maine Department of Public Safety
Age Requirement	Must be age 18 or older
Phone	Contact your local law enforcement agency
Website	none
Other	Legislative Documents: HP1138, LD 1610, item 1

Maryland
Effective Date	October 2009
Administered By	Maryland State Police
Age Requirement	Anyone who may have a cognitive disorder
Phone	Contact your local law enforcement agency or (410)486-3101
Website
Other	House Bill 192 Press Release

Minnesota
Effective Date	July 2009 AKA “Brandon's Law”
Administered By	Bureau of Criminal Apprehension
Age Requirement	All ages
Phone	Contact your local law enforcement agency
Website	None
Other	S.F. No. 1146 (Minnesota Missing Person’s Act)

Mississippi
Effective Date	July 1, 2010 "Mississippi Silver Alert System Act of 2010."
Administered By	Mississippi Department of Public Safety
Age Requirement	Must be age 18 or older
Phone	Contact your local law enforcement agency
Website	None
Other	House Bill 664, House Bill 664 Amended

Missouri
Effective Date	Silver Alert House Bill still in limbo Current program is called “Endangered Person Advisory”
Administered By	Department of Public Safety
Age Requirement	Must be age 18 or older
Phone	Contact your local law enforcement agency
Website	Website
Other	House Bill 1119

New Hampshire
Effective Date	Approved July 29, 2009, Effective on July 1, 2010
Administered By	Unknown at this time
Age Requirement	Must be age 55 or older
Phone	Contact your local law enforcement agency
Website	None
Other	House Bill 279

New Jersey
Effective Date	December 23, 2009 law signed into effect
Administered By	State Police
Age Requirement	Must be age 65 or older
Phone	Contact your local law enforcement agency
Website	http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/2008/Bills/A3000/2844_I1.HTM
Other	Assembly No. 2844 Senate Bill 1551 and Senate Bill 1844

New York
Effective Date	February 20, 2009, bill introduced, but still not signed into law at this time (Apr 2010)
Administered By	State Police
Age Requirement	Must be age 18 or older
Phone	Contact your local law enforcement agency
Website	None, but a list of missing persons is available online. web link
Other	Bills A05783, S04307

New Mexico
Effective Date	The New Mexico Missing Persons Clearinghouse issues a “Endanger Person Advisory”
Administered By	Department of Public Safety
Age Requirement	All ages
Phone	Contact your local law enforcement agency or (505) 827-9297
Website	http://missingpersons.dps.state.nm.us/
Other

North Carolina
Effective Date	Approved June 19, 2009
Administered By	Department of Crime Control and Public Safety
Age Requirement	All ages
Phone	Contact your local law enforcement agency
Website	http://www.nccrimecontrol.org/Index2.cfm?a=000003,000005,000081,001670 http://www.nccrimecontrol.org/div/ale/missingpersons/SilverAlertBrochure3c.pdf
Other	General Statute § 143B-499.8

Oklahoma
Effective Date	November 1, 2009, passed Senate April 16, 2009
Administered By	Department of Public Safety - Commissioner of Public Safety
Age Requirement	Must be age 60 or older
Phone	Contact your local law enforcement agency
Website	none
Other	House Bill 2030, 63 O.S. §1-1990.2

Ohio
Effective Date	June 20, 2008 AKA “Missing Adult Alert”
Administered By	Ohio Emergency Management Agency
Age Requirement	Must be age 65 or older
Phone	Contact your local law enforcement agency or 866-693-9171
Website	http://www.missingadults.ohio.gov/OhioMAA/Home.aspx
Other	Senate Bill 87, Sec. 5502.522

Pennsylvania
Effective Date	September 1, 2009 (based on HB276, although no program confirmation can be found)
Administered By	State Police
Age Requirement	Must be age 65 or older
Phone	Contact your local law enforcement agency
Website	none
Other	House Bill 2558 (2008), House Bill 726 (2009)

Rhode Island
Effective Date	January 3, 2008 AKA “"Missing Senior Citizen Alert Program"
Administered By	State Police
Age Requirement	Must be age 60 or older
Phone	Contact your local law enforcement agency
Website	none
Other	S7048 and H7048

South Carolina
Effective Date	May 2010 AKA “The Endangered Person Notification System”
Administered By	South Carolina Law Enforcement Division Missing Persons - Missing Person Information Center
Age Requirement	All ages
Phone	Contact your local law enforcement agency or 803-737-9000
Website	none
Other	Article 5, Chapter 3, Title 23 of the 1976 Code is amended by adding Section 23‑3‑330, January 13, 2009. House Bill 3817 introduced on March 24, 2009. A192, R240, H3719 General Bill.

Tennessee
Effective Date	August 4, 2009
Administered By	Tennessee Bureau of Investigation
Age Requirement	Must be age 18 or older
Phone	Contact your local law enforcement agency
Website	none
Other	House Bill 346

Texas
Effective Date	Sept 1, 2007
Administered By	Department of Public Safety
Age Requirement	Must be age 65 or older
Phone	Contact your local law enforcement agency or Texas Silver Alert Coordinator (512) 424-2208
Website	ftp://ftp.txdps.state.tx.us/dem/amber/silver_alert_instructions.pdf
Other

Virginia
Effective Date	July 2007 AKA “Senior Alert System”
Administered By	Virginia State Police
Age Requirement	Must be age 60 or older
Phone	Contact your local law enforcement agency
Website	http://www.vasenioralert.com/index.htm
Other	§ 52-34.5

West Virginia
Effective Date	April 22, 2009
Administered By	The State Police
Age Requirement	No minimum age
Phone	Contact your local law enforcement agency
Website	none
Other	House Bill 2504 §15-3B-3

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