NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A8492
SPONSOR: Anderson TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the executive law, in relation to the creation of a
"purple alert system" for missing victims of domestic violence
PURPOSE:
This bill creates a purple alert system to notify the public of missing
victims of domestic violence by unifying the resources of the Division
of Criminal Services, Department of Transportation, appropriate state
agencies to inform the public along with private or governmental enti-
ties who participate in the dissemination of urgent public information.
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:
Section 3:
(a) The purple alert system shall include all state agencies capable
of providing urgent and timely information to the public, together with
broadcasters, private commercial entities and state or local govern-
mental entities who volunteer to participate in the dissemination of
urgent public information.
(b) Such alert system shall include, but shall not be limited to, the
division, the New York lottery and the department of transportation,
which shall establish a plan for providing information to the public
through an existing system of dynamic message signs located across the
state.
Section 4:
A law enforcement agency shall notify the division if the agency
receives a report regarding a missing victim of domestic violence who is
determined by the agency to be a participant in the purple alert system.
JUSTIFICATION:
In most missing persons cases, the first 48 hours are the most crucial.
Missing victims of domestic violence are innately more at risk of not
being successfully reunited with their loved ones. According to New
York States' Amber Alert statistics, in nearly 7 in every 10 AMBER Alert
cases, children are successfully reunited with their parents. And in
just over 17 percent of cases, the recovery is a direct result of the
AMBER Alert.
A Purple Alert system is designed to provide much needed emergency
awareness to missing victims of domestic violence once confirmed by
appropriate parties that such individuals may be in danger. This Alert
system would also take into account any identity protection measures on
behalf of the victim and work to make sure the public is alerted without
placing protected identities at risk.
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
New Bill.
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
To be determined.
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect on the thirtieth day after it shall have
become a law.
