Fahy, Romero Introduce Bill to Establish ‘Purple Alert’ in New York State for People Living with Disabilities

ALBANY, N.Y. – Senator Patricia Fahy (D—Albany) and Assemblymember Gabriella Romero (D, WF—Albany, Guilderland, New Scotland) announced they are introducing legislation (S.XXXX/A.XXXX) today to create a ‘Purple Alert’ in New York State, a statewide public notification system to assist in locating and safely recovering individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Every day, around 2,300 people are reported missing in the United States. In recognition of this, and to protect especially vulnerable populations, all 50 states have Amber Alert systems for abducted children, and 37 states have Silver Alert systems for missing elderly persons. The tragic drowning of Harbe Nagi, a seven-year-old boy with autism from Guilderland, New York, brought to light a gap in the Amber Alert system, which is specifically targeted for abducted children, not children with special needs who may be missing. This legislation would direct the state police to establish a Purple Alert system that could be used to send out notifications to assist in locating people with disabilities.

Purple alerts have been implemented in six states, including Florida, Rhode Island, Maryland, Kansas, Mississippi, and Connecticut. On average, seven children with autism die per month after wandering or bolting away, primarily from drowning; in fact, tragically, 91% of wandering deaths in autistic children are attributable to drowning. Purple alert systems have proven to be highly effective. For example, in Florida, the purple alert system has a reported above 95% success rate in locating missing adults and children living with disabilities.

According to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE), over 430 missing persons have been safely recovered since the Purple Alert system was implemented. Early tracking of the system cited 250 recoveries out of 255 issued alerts, representing an almost 98% success rate.

These notification systems provide a critical, urgent service by notifying communities and greatly increasing the likelihood that the missing individual is found. According to the Department of Justice, since its creation in 1996, over 1,300 children have been found due to the activation of an Amber Alert.

“Purple alerts have been proven to be highly successful in states that have implemented them, and when a child or adult living with intellectual and developmental disabilities is missing, every second counts and can mean the difference between life and death,” said Senator Patricia Fahy, Chair of the Senate Disabilities Committee. “This is a commonsense proposal that mobilizes law enforcement, emergency response, and community involvement to ensure that maximum tools and resources are levied to find the missing person. In the aftermath of Harbe Nagi’s tragic death and a young life cut far too short, New York State can act to prevent future tragedies and implement a Purple Alert system to save future lives.”

“Every New Yorker deserves to know that if their loved one goes missing, our state has the tools to respond quickly. The heartbreaking loss of Harbe Nagi made it clear that there is a gap in our emergency alert system that cannot be ignored, and reminds us that we must continually improve our emergency response systems to meet the needs of every member of our community,” said Assemblymember Gabriella Romero. “A Purple Alert will help fill that gap by coordinating law enforcement and mobilizing the public when a person with an intellectual or developmental disability goes missing, giving families hope and increasing the chances of safe recovery. I am proud to partner with Senator Fahy on this important legislation to help protect vulnerable residents in the Capital Region and throughout the entire state.” 

“This proactive bill seeks to enhance community awareness, aid, and engagement in locating missing vulnerable persons,” said Albany Police Chief Brendan Cox. “The Albany Police Department has always strongly relied on our community partnerships and involvement when attempting to locate individuals in need of assistance. We believe that participation from the community in situations like these can be critical in rendering aid and potentially saving a life. We look forward to the implementation of this bill and thank Senator Fahy and her staff for their dedication and commitment to keeping our community members safe.”

“Rescue, not recovery—that’s what we’re fighting for,” said Albany County Sheriff Craig Apple. “A Purple Alert serves those who wander due to autism, a developmental disability, and other cognitive conditions, giving the whole community and us the head start we need to bring a missing loved one home safe, before minutes turn into tragedy.”

"As we celebrate Disability Pride Month, a designated alert system for missing individuals with disabilities is critical to improve search efforts and save lives,” said Saba Mann, Albany Muslim Advocacy Coalition. “We thank Senator Fahy for this proactive legislation that honors Harbe Nagi’s memory and will prevent similar tragedies from happening again. This is a necessary step toward protecting all individuals in our community.”