House passes measures regarding missing older adults

The House of Representatives has passed two bills relating to missing older Americans.

H.R.908 Missing Alzheimer’s Disease Patient Alert
Representative Maxine Waters (D-CA) sponsored this legislation that amends the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 to reauthorize the Missing Alzheimer's Disease Patient Alert Program. The bill was received in the Senate, read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.

The Missing Alzheimer’s Disease Patient Alert Program directs the Attorney General, through the Bureau of Justice Assistance and in consultation with the Secretary of Health and Human Services, to award competitive grants to nonprofit organizations to assist such organizations in paying for the costs of planning, designing, establishing, and operating locally based, proactive programs to protect and locate missing patients with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias and other missing elderly individuals.

The legislation authorizes appropriations of $5 million for each year 2010 through 2016. The funds must be appropriated before the grants will be available.

H.R.632 National Silver Alert Act 2009
The National Silver Alert Act 2009 sponsored by Representative Lloyd Doggett (D-TX) would encourage, enhance, and integrate Silver Alert plans throughout the United States, and authorize grants for the assistance of organizations to find missing adults. The bill was received in the Senate, read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.

The legislation directs the Attorney General to: (1) establish a national Silver Alert communications network within the Department of Justice (DOJ) to assist regional and local search efforts for missing seniors; (2) assign a DOJ officer to serve as the Silver Alert Coordinator to coordinate the network with states; and (3) award grants to states for support of Silver Alert plans and the network. The bill defines "missing senior" as any individual who is reported as missing to or by a law enforcement agency and who meets state requirements for designation as a missing senior. It further directs the coordinator to: (1) establish minimum standards for the issuance and dissemination of alerts issued through the network; and (2) make available to states, local governments, law enforcement agencies, and other concerned entities network training and information.

The bill also includes the Kristen's Act Reauthorization of 2009 directing the Attorney General to make competitive grants to public agencies or nonprofit private organizations to: (1) maintain a national resource center and information clearinghouse for missing and unidentified adults; (2) maintain a national, interconnected database to track missing adults endangered due to age, diminished mental capacity, or the circumstances of disappearance, when foul play is suspected or circumstances are unknown; (3) coordinate public and private programs that locate or recover missing adults; (4) provide assistance and training to law enforcement agencies, state and local governments, and other agencies involved with missing adults; (5) provide assistance to families in locating and recovering missing adults; and (6) assist in public notification and victim advocacy related to missing adults.

These bills have been read in the Senate and assigned to committee. More information about these issues will be provided when the Senate takes action.

To read more about these bills go to http://www.thomas.gov/ and search for the bills by number.