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Bills · 2023-2024 Regular Session

SB 981

Became law Official bill text Atom feed

Relating to: expanding alerts for missing adults to include certain missing children. (FE)

Children Intellectual disabilities Justice department of Persons with disabilities Police Senior citizen Youth

  1. Introduced, completed
  2. Passes Senate, completed
  3. Passes Assembly, completed
  4. Governor signs, completed
  5. Law, completed

Unfamiliar terms? Glossary

What this bill does

Plain-language analysis by the nonpartisan Legislative Reference Bureau

The Department of Justice currently administers several alert systems, under

which DOJ works with law enforcement agencies, broadcasters, and others to

disseminate information regarding certain cases involving endangered children,

missing adults at risk, and veterans at risk. These alerts are commonly known

respectively as Amber Alerts, Silver Alerts, or Green Alerts.

Under current law, the Silver Alert applies to a missing person who is at least

18 if the person has a developmental disability or suffers from dementia, or who

could, without access to medication, suffer from cognitive impairment that would

likely render the adult incapable of getting to a familiar location alone. This bill

expands the Silver Alert to include children if the situation is not covered by the

Amber Alert, which requires a reasonable belief by law enforcement that the child

was abducted and is in imminent danger of serious bodily injury or death and that

if sufficient information is shared with the public, the alert will assist in finding the

child. Under this bill, a Silver Alert could be issued for a missing person under 18

to whom an Amber Alert does not apply if the person is believed to be incapable of

returning home without assistance due to a physical or mental condition or disability

or if the person is under 10.

What it would cost

Fiscal estimates filed by state agencies, as official PDFs

Sponsors

Introduced by: James (R) , L. Johnson (D) , Smith (D) , Testin (R) , Wirch (D)

27 cosponsors

Bare (D) , C. Anderson (D) , Clancy (D) , Conley (D) , Dittrich (R) , Gundrum (R) , Jacobson (D) , Joers (D) , Larson (D) , Madison (D) , Maxey (R) , Moore Omokunde (D) , Mursau, Edming, Snyder and Goeben , Novak (R) , O'Connor (R) , Ortiz-Velez (D) , Ratcliff (D) , S. Johnson (R) , Schraa (R) , Shankland (D) , Sinicki (D) , Spiros (R) , Spreitzer, Agard and Carpenter , Stubbs (D) , Subeck (D) , Summerfield (R) , Vining (D)

Votes

Senate: Report passage recommended by Committee on Mental Health, Substance Abuse Prevention, Children and Families, Ayes 5, Noes 0

Passed 5–0 Feb 8, 2024 official source full page

No individual roll call was recorded for this vote. Committee votes and some older sessions record totals only.

Full history

  1. Jan 30, 2024 · Senate

    Introduced by Senators James, L. Johnson, Smith, Wirch and Testin; cosponsored by Representatives Stubbs, Spiros, Bare, Conley, Dittrich, Gundrum, Jacobson, Joers, Maxey, Moore Omokunde, Novak, O'Connor, Ortiz-Velez, Ratcliff, Sinicki and Summerfield

  2. Jan 30, 2024 · Senate

    Read first time and referred to Committee on Mental Health, Substance Abuse Prevention, Children and Families

  3. Jan 31, 2024 · Senate

    Representatives Mursau, Edming, Snyder and Goeben added as cosponsors

  4. Jan 31, 2024 · Senate

    Senator Larson added as a coauthor

  5. Feb 1, 2024 · Senate

    Senators Spreitzer, Agard and Carpenter added as coauthors

  6. Feb 1, 2024 · Senate

    Public hearing held

  7. Feb 1, 2024 · Senate

    Representative Schraa added as a cosponsor

  8. Feb 2, 2024 · Senate

    Representative S. Johnson added as a cosponsor

  9. Feb 5, 2024 · Senate

    Representative Subeck added as a cosponsor

  10. Feb 6, 2024 · Senate

    Representative Clancy added as a cosponsor

  11. Feb 8, 2024 · Senate

    Executive action taken

  12. Feb 8, 2024 · Senate

    Report passage recommended by Committee on Mental Health, Substance Abuse Prevention, Children and Families, Ayes 5, Noes 0

  13. Feb 8, 2024 · Senate

    Available for scheduling

  14. Feb 8, 2024 · Senate

    Representative Madison added as a cosponsor

  15. Feb 15, 2024 · Senate

    Fiscal estimate received

  16. Feb 19, 2024 · Senate

    Placed on calendar 2-20-2024 pursuant to Senate Rule 18(1)

  17. Feb 20, 2024 · Senate

    Read a second time

  18. Feb 20, 2024 · Senate

    Ordered to a third reading

  19. Feb 20, 2024 · Senate

    Rules suspended to give bill its third reading

  20. Feb 20, 2024 · Senate

    Read a third time and passed

  21. Feb 20, 2024 · Senate

    Ordered immediately messaged

  22. Feb 20, 2024 · Assembly

    Received from Senate

  23. Feb 20, 2024 · Assembly

    Read first time and referred to committee on Rules

  24. Feb 20, 2024 · Assembly

    Made a special order of business at 10:58 AM on 2-22-2024 pursuant to Assembly Resolution 28

  25. Feb 21, 2024 · Assembly

    Representative C. Anderson added as a cosponsor

  26. Feb 22, 2024 · Assembly

    Read a second time

  27. Feb 22, 2024 · Assembly

    Ordered to a third reading

  28. Feb 22, 2024 · Assembly

    Rules suspended

  29. Feb 22, 2024 · Assembly

    Read a third time and concurred in

  30. Feb 22, 2024 · Assembly

    Ordered immediately messaged

  31. Feb 23, 2024 · Senate

    Received from Assembly concurred in

  32. Feb 28, 2024 · Senate

    Report correctly enrolled

  33. Mar 7, 2024 · Senate

    Representative Shankland added as a cosponsor

  34. Apr 4, 2024 · Senate

    Presented to the Governor on 4-4-2024

  35. Apr 5, 2024 · Senate

    Representative Vining added as a cosponsor

  36. Apr 9, 2024 · Senate

    Report approved by the Governor on 4-9-2024. 2023 Wisconsin Act 272

  37. Apr 9, 2024 · Senate

    Published 4-10-2024