Senate Bill S10664

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   10664
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                               July 17, 2026
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen.  FAHY  --  read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Rules
 
 AN ACT to amend the executive law, in relation to establishing a  purple
   alert  program  to assist in the location and safe recovery of missing
   vulnerable persons
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. The executive law is amended by adding a new section 237 to
 read as follows:
   §  237.  PURPLE  ALERT  PROGRAM.  1. DEFINITIONS. FOR PURPOSES OF THIS
 SECTION:
   (A) "MISSING VULNERABLE PERSON" MEANS A PERSON WHO:
   (I) HAS AN INTELLECTUAL DISABILITY, DEVELOPMENTAL  DISABILITY,  AUTISM
 SPECTRUM DISORDER, TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY, OR ANOTHER CONGENITAL, DEVEL-
 OPMENTAL,  OR  ACQUIRED COGNITIVE OR NEUROLOGICAL IMPAIRMENT THAT IS NOT
 PRIMARILY ATTRIBUTABLE TO AGE-RELATED COGNITIVE  DECLINE  THAT  SUBSTAN-
 TIALLY  LIMITS  SUCH PERSON'S ABILITY TO COMMUNICATE, EXERCISE JUDGMENT,
 RECOGNIZE DANGER, OR SAFELY RETURN WITHOUT ASSISTANCE;
   (II) HAS BEEN REPORTED MISSING TO A LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY; AND
   (III) IS REASONABLY BELIEVED  BY  THE  INVESTIGATING  LAW  ENFORCEMENT
 AGENCY  TO  BE  AT  RISK  OF  SERIOUS  BODILY  HARM OR DEATH DUE TO SUCH
 PERSON'S IMPAIRMENT OR THE CIRCUMSTANCES SURROUNDING THE DISAPPEARANCE.
   (B) "PURPLE ALERT" MEANS  THE  STATEWIDE  PUBLIC  NOTIFICATION  ISSUED
 PURSUANT TO THIS SECTION.
   2.  PROGRAM  ESTABLISHED. THE DIVISION OF STATE POLICE SHALL ESTABLISH
 AND ADMINISTER A PURPLE ALERT PROGRAM TO ASSIST IN THE LOCATION AND SAFE
 RECOVERY OF MISSING VULNERABLE PERSONS.
   3. ACTIVATION. (A) A PARTICIPATING LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY MAY  REQUEST
 ACTIVATION OF A PURPLE ALERT UPON DETERMINING THAT:
   (I)  THE  MISSING PERSON SATISFIES THE DEFINITION OF A MISSING VULNER-
 ABLE PERSON;
   (II) SUFFICIENT DESCRIPTIVE INFORMATION EXISTS TO ASSIST  IN  LOCATING
 THE MISSING PERSON; AND
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD16152-01-6
              

 S. 10664                            2
 
   (III)  DISSEMINATION  OF  THE  INFORMATION TO THE PUBLIC IS REASONABLY
 LIKELY TO AID IN THE SAFE RECOVERY OF THE MISSING PERSON.
   (B)  THE SUPERINTENDENT OF STATE POLICE OR THEIR DESIGNEE SHALL DETER-
 MINE WHETHER THE CRITERIA FOR ACTIVATION HAVE BEEN SATISFIED.
   4. DISSEMINATION. UPON ACTIVATION, THE DIVISION OF  STATE  POLICE  MAY
 DISSEMINATE  INFORMATION REGARDING THE MISSING VULNERABLE PERSON THROUGH
 ANY COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM OR PUBLIC  NOTIFICATION  PLATFORM  THE  SUPER-
 INTENDENT DEEMS APPROPRIATE, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO:
   (A) BROADCAST AND DIGITAL MEDIA;
   (B) SOCIAL MEDIA;
   (C) ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONS NETWORKS UTILIZED BY LAW ENFORCEMENT;
   (D) VARIABLE MESSAGE SIGNS MAINTAINED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTA-
 TION OR OTHER GOVERNMENTAL ENTITIES;
   (E) WIRELESS EMERGENCY ALERTS, WHERE PERMITTED UNDER APPLICABLE FEDER-
 AL LAW; AND
   (F) ANY OTHER MEANS REASONABLY CALCULATED TO ASSIST IN THE SAFE RECOV-
 ERY OF THE MISSING VULNERABLE PERSON.
   5.  RULES  AND  REGULATIONS.  THE  SUPERINTENDENT  OF STATE POLICE MAY
 PROMULGATE RULES AND REGULATIONS NECESSARY TO IMPLEMENT  THE  PROVISIONS
 OF THIS SECTION, INCLUDING PROCEDURES GOVERNING:
   (A) REQUESTS FOR ACTIVATION;
   (B) VERIFICATION OF ELIGIBILITY;
   (C) CANCELLATION OF ALERTS;
   (D) COORDINATION WITH LOCAL, STATE, AND FEDERAL AGENCIES; AND
   (E) PUBLIC EDUCATION REGARDING THE PURPLE ALERT PROGRAM.
   §  2. This act shall take effect one year after it shall have become a
 law.