HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 94344        FILED ON: 11/16/2009

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 4344

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the Year Two Thousand Nine

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An Act to create a silver alert program to protect seniors..

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
 

SECTION 1.Chapter 22 of the General Laws is hereby amended by adding the following section:– Section 21.  There is hereby created the silver alert community response system.  The system shall be used in alerting designated Massachusetts communities in cases involving missing and endangered older adults.

(a).  The silver alert community response system shall:

1.      Be used when an adult with serious memory impairment such as Alzheimer’s disease or other dementia is reported to any police department in Massachusetts as a missing person and the police department or other appropriate agency has determined that the missing person should appropriately be the subject of a silver alert.. 

2.        Direct and focus law enforcement and other key response resources in a cost-effective way in a geographic area consistent with the missing person’s “Point Last Known” and in accordance with the best available research data related to activities of persons with dementia..

 (b).  The executive office of public safety, in conjunction with the municipal police training committee shall develop and implement the silver alert system. The Secretary shall promulgate rules and regulations, as necessary, to ensure proper implementation of the silver alert. He shall do so in consultation with representatives of the executive office of elder affairs, attorney general’s office, Massachusetts emergency management agency, state police, chiefs of police association, county sheriff’s departments and district attorney’s offices, department of conservation and  recreation (rangers), and Massachusetts/New Hampshire chapter of the national Alzheimer’s association.

(c).  All first responders, 911 operators and any other appropriate personnel shall be trained on the silver alert system application and protocols; re-training will be included in yearly in-service trainings for these personnel; training will include information about older drivers whose memory impairments may put them at high risk for crashes or becoming lost while driving.

(d).  The executive office of public safety shall develop a plan to ensure that the Silver Alert system will include use of a localized reverse 911 emergency phone system.

(e). The executive office of public safety shall consider coordinating the silver alert system with the national MedicAlert®+Safe Return Program®, a nationwide patient identification and family support program, supported locally by the Massachusetts Alzheimers Association.