State of Washington | 62nd Legislature | 2012 Regular Session |
Read first time 01/12/12. Referred to Committee on Judiciary.
AN ACT Relating to missing endangered persons; and amending RCW 13.60.010 and 13.60.020.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
Sec. 1 RCW 13.60.010 and 2009 c 20 s 1 are each amended to read
as follows:
(1) The Washington state patrol shall establish a missing children
and endangered person clearinghouse which shall include the maintenance
and operation of a toll-free, twenty-four-hour telephone hotline. The
clearinghouse shall distribute information to local law enforcement
agencies, school districts, the department of social and health
services, and the general public regarding missing children and
endangered persons. The information shall include pictures, bulletins,
training sessions, reports, and biographical materials that will assist
in local law enforcement efforts to locate missing children and
endangered persons. The state patrol shall also maintain a regularly
updated computerized link with national and other statewide missing
person systems or clearinghouses, and within existing resources, shall
develop and implement a plan, commonly known as an "((amber alert))
endangered missing person advisory plan," for voluntary cooperation
between local, state, tribal, and other law enforcement agencies, state
government agencies, radio and television stations, ((and)) cable and
satellite systems, and social media pages and sites to enhance the
public's ability to assist in recovering abducted children and missing
endangered persons consistent with the state endangered missing person
advisory plan.
(2) For the purposes of this chapter:
(a) "Child" or "children((,))" ((as used in this chapter,)) means
an individual under eighteen years of age.
(b) "Missing endangered person" means a person believed to be in
danger because of age, health, mental or physical disability, in
combination with environmental or weather conditions, or is believed to
be unable to return to safety without assistance.
Sec. 2 RCW 13.60.020 and 1985 c 443 s 23 are each amended to read
as follows:
Local law enforcement agencies shall file an official missing
person report and enter biographical information into the state missing
person computerized network within ((twelve)) six hours after
notification of a missing child or endangered person is received under
RCW 13.32A.050 (1)(a), (((3))) (c), or (((4))) (d), or an endangered
missing person received pursuant to the state endangered missing person
advisory plan. The patrol shall collect such information as will
enable it to retrieve immediately the following information about a
missing child or endangered person: Name, date of birth, social
security number, fingerprint classification, relevant physical
descriptions, and known associates and locations. Access to the
preceding information shall be available to appropriate law enforcement
agencies, and to parents and legal guardians, when appropriate.