Proposed bill to protect ill adults

INDIANAPOLIS – Indiana would join several states that have public warning systems to help find endangered, missing adults if a bill endorsed by a state Senate committee Wednesday becomes law.

The Senate Health and Provider Services Committee unanimously approved the bill, which would establish so-called silver alerts. They would be similar to Amber Alerts, which are issued by police, broadcast by media outlets and put on Web sites when a child is believed to have been abducted and is in danger.

Indianapolis Republican Sen. Patricia Miller, the committee’s chairwoman and author of the bill, said silver alerts could help protect more than 100,000 Indiana residents with Alzheimer’s disease and other endangered adults.

At least 10 states have implemented their own missing person notification system for people with some form of mental impairments, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Requirements for issuing alerts vary, but generally the person must be age 65 or older, suffer from some form of mental impairment and be believed to be in danger.

Miller’s bill is supported by the AARP, the Alzheimer’s Association and families who have had older loved ones go missing.

The bill would allow the Indiana State Police to set criteria for issuing silver alerts, and it would be voluntary on the part of TV and radio stations and newspapers whether to broadcast the information or make it public through other means.

Andre Clark, who heads the Amber Alert program for the state police, said the agency was neutral on the bill. But he said last week that the agency was concerned the system would result in so many alerts the public would tune them out.

“If you had an alert every week or twice a week, would people pay as much attention to Amber Alerts?” he said.