RATIONALE

According to testimony before the Senate Committee on Civil Rights, Judiciary, and Public Safety, seniors or vulnerable adults who have dementia are at a higher risk of going missing. This is because common symptoms of dementia are confusion and disorientation, which can lead to wandering. Currently, when a senior or vulnerable adult goes missing and an individual reports the missing person to the police, the missing person's information is only distributed to police officers. In comparison, when a child is reported missing to the police, that information is distributed to police and broadcast publicly via AMBER Alerts sent to people's cellphones. Testimony indicates that publicly broadcasting information about a missing person helps find that missing person faster, and so a system similar to AMBER alerts for missing seniors or vulnerable adults has been suggested.

CONTENT

The bill would amend the Mozelle Senior or Vulnerable Adult Medical Alert Act to require the Department of State Police (MSP) to establish the missing senior or vulnerable adult medical alert system plan, which would have to rapidly disseminate useful information about a missing senior or vulnerable adult through the existing wireless emergency medical alert system.

Generally, the Act requires a law enforcement agency that receives notice of a missing senior or vulnerable adult from a person familiar with the senior or vulnerable adult to prepare a report on the senior or vulnerable adult. The report must include identifying information, such as a physical description and the last known sighting of the senior or vulnerable adult. Upon a report's completion, the agency must forward the information to other specified law enforcement agencies and broadcasters, among other entities.

Under the bill, the MSP would have to establish and maintain the missing senior or vulnerable adult medical alert system plan to rapidly disseminate the information described above in a predetermined manner to wireless devices through the existing wireless emergency medical alert system under Federal law. The plan could be activated only after a report was completed as described above and only in accordance with policies that the MSP established. The bill would require a law enforcement agency to notify the MSP of a missing senior or vulnerable adult upon a completed report and request that a medical alert be issued under the plan.

("Missing senior or vulnerable adult" means a resident of the State who is one of the following:

-- At least 60 years of age and is believed to be incapable of returning to his or her residence without assistance and is reported missing by a person familiar with that individual.

-- An individual age 18 or over who, because of age, developmental disability, mental illness, or physical disability requires supervision or personal care or lacks the personal and social skills required to live independently.

-- A person who is missing and suffering from senility or a physical or mental condition that subjects the person or others to personal and immediate danger.)

MCL 28.715

PREVIOUS LEGISLATION

(This section does not provide a comprehensive account of previous legislative efforts on this subject matter.)

The bill is a reintroduction of House Bill 5391 from the 2023-2024 Legislative Session.

ARGUMENTS

(Please note: The arguments contained in this analysis originate from sources outside the Senate Fiscal Agency. The Senate Fiscal Agency neither supports nor opposes legislation.)

Supporting Argument

Currently, 27 states and Washington D.C. operate a system that alerts the public when an elderly person is missing. According to testimony before the Senate Committee on Civil Rights, Judiciary, and Public Safety, these systems, known as SILVER alert systems, help law enforcement personnel find missing people faster because they allow citizens to aid in the search. Testimony further indicates that law enforcement agencies report over 90% success rates in locating missing seniors when SILVER alerts are activated. In 2022, over 6,000 SILVER alerts were issued nationwide and over 80% of those individuals were returned home safely. Implementing a similar alert system in Michigan would give law enforcement personnel the tools to better ensure that adults with dementia were found and returned home safely.

Supporting Argument

Today, 203,000 Michigan residents live with Alzheimer's, the most common form of dementia. According to testimony before the Senate Committee on Civil Rights, Judiciary, and Public Safety, of these residents, about 60% will wander at least once. Therefore, about 121,800 Michigan residents will wander at least once. Over half of people who wander and are not found within a day will become seriously injured, seriously ill, or die due to exposure, dehydration, or accidents. An alert system would allow law enforcement to disseminate information quickly, maximizing the chances of finding a person who suffers from dementia before such harm can happen.

Supporting Argument

A notification system for people with dementia would build on the same infrastructure used for AMBER Alerts and severe weather warnings: the Wireless Emergency Alert platform. This would minimize the fiscal impact of implementing a new alert system. Additionally, finding vulnerable elderly people quickly would prevent costly searches conducted by law enforcement and emergency hospitalizations conducted to mitigate any harmful health effects of wandering. Implementing a notification system would not only be a minimal financial investment but would save the time and the resources of law enforcement and emergency medical institutions.

Legislative Analyst: Tyler VanHuyse

FISCAL IMPACT

The bill would require the MSP to spend approximately $20,000 (assumed General Fund/General Purpose) annually for costs associated with subscription fees/software for the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System alerting system platform, Crisis24 CodeRED, that would be used to issue emergency alerts and warnings.

Fiscal Analyst: Bruce R. Baker