Bill Text: NJ A5223 | 2018-2019 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Requires missing vulnerable person alert to be initiated within two hours of missing person report.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2019-03-25 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly Law and Public Safety Committee [A5223 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2018-A5223-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman ANDREW ZWICKER
District 16 (Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex and Somerset)
SYNOPSIS
Requires missing vulnerable person alert to be initiated within two hours of missing person report.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning missing persons and amending P.L.2015, c.184.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. Section 2 of P.L.2015, c.184 (C.52:17B-194.10) is amended to read as follows:
2. An MVP Emergency Alert authorized under this section may be activated in accordance with the following requirements, which shall be incorporated into the guidelines required by subsection c. of section 1 of P.L.2015, c.184 (C.52:17B-194.9):
a. The law enforcement agency receiving the missing person report shall be the lead law enforcement agency.
b. The Missing Persons and Child Exploitation Unit in the Division of State Police, upon request, shall assist the lead law enforcement agency in the investigation of an MVP Emergency Alert.
c. Each of the following criteria shall be met before an MVP Emergency Alert may be issued:
(1) the person believed to be missing is believed to have a mental, intellectual, or developmental disability or defect, regardless of age;
(2) a missing person report has been submitted to the local law enforcement agency where the person went missing;
(3) the person believed to be missing may be in danger of death or serious bodily injury;
(4) there is sufficient information available to indicate that an MVP Emergency Alert would assist in locating the missing vulnerable person, including but not limited to information indicating that at the time the person went missing the person was the operator of, a passenger in, or otherwise conveyed by a motor vehicle; and
(5) sufficient information is available to disseminate to the public that could assist in locating the person, including but not limited to accurate information concerning any motor vehicle the person may have been operating or in which the person may have been a passenger or otherwise conveyed.
d. An MVP Emergency Alert shall be initiated within two hours of the initial filing of the missing person report with the lead law enforcement agency.
(cf: P.L.2015, c.184, s.2)
2. This act shall take
effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill requires missing vulnerable persons (MVP) alerts to be initiated within two hours of the initial filing of a missing person report with a law enforcement agency. The "MVP Emergency Alert System" disseminates information regarding a person who is believed to be a missing vulnerable person. A "missing vulnerable person" or "MVP" is defined as a person who is believed to have a mental, intellectual, or developmental disability or defect who goes missing under circumstances that indicate that the person may be in danger of death or serious bodily injury.
Under current law, a lead law enforcement agency is not required to initiate an MVP alert within a specific time frame. This bill requires an MVP alert to be initiated within two hours of the initial filing of the missing person report. This is the same amount of time that is granted to a lead law enforcement agency to enter into applicable federal databases case information for "high risk missing persons" pursuant to section 6 of P.L.2007, c.279 (C.52:17B-217).
