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Sponsored byGabriella A. Romero
Last updated Jul 29, 2026 · NY · Source: LegiScan ↗
Establishes a 'Purple Alert' program in New York, directing the state police to create and administer a statewide public notification system to help locate and safely recover missing vulnerable persons with intellectual, developmental, or cognitive disabilities who are at risk of serious harm.
STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 11631 IN ASSEMBLY July 29, 2026 ___________ Introduced by COMMITTEE ON RULES -- (at request of M. of A. Romero) -- read once and referred to the Committee on Governmental Operations AN ACT to amend the executive law, in relation to establishing a purple alert program to assist in the location and safe recovery of missing vulnerable persons The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. The executive law is amended by adding a new section 237 to 2 read as follows: 3 § 237. Purple alert program. 1. Definitions. For purposes of this 4 section: 5 (a) "Missing vulnerable person" means a person who: 6 (i) has an intellectual disability, developmental disability, autism 7 spectrum disorder, traumatic brain injury, or another congenital, devel- 8 opmental, or acquired cognitive or neurological impairment that is not 9 primarily attributable to age-related cognitive decline that substan- 10 tially limits such person's ability to communicate, exercise judgment, 11 recognize danger, or safely return without assistance; 12 (ii) has been reported missing to a law enforcement agency; and 13 (iii) is reasonably believed by the investigating law enforcement 14 agency to be at risk of serious bodily harm or death due to such 15 person's impairment or the circumstances surrounding the disappearance. 16 (b) "Purple alert" means the statewide public notification issued 17 pursuant to this section. 18 2. Program established. The division of state police shall establish 19 and administer a purple alert program to assist in the location and safe 20 recovery of missing vulnerable persons. 21 3. Activation. (a) A participating law enforcement agency may request 22 activation of a purple alert upon determining that: 23 (i) the missing person satisfies the definition of a missing vulner- 24 able person; 25 (ii) sufficient descriptive information exists to assist in locating 26 the missing person; and EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD16152-01-6 A. 11631 2 1 (iii) dissemination of the information to the public is reasonably 2 likely to aid in the safe recovery of the missing person. 3 (b) The superintendent of state police or their designee shall deter- 4 mine whether the criteria for activation have been satisfied. 5 4. Dissemination. Upon activation, the division of state police may 6 disseminate information regarding the missing vulnerable person through 7 any communications system or public notification platform the super- 8 intendent deems appropriate, including but not limited to: 9 (a) broadcast and digital media; 10 (b) social media; 11 (c) electronic communications networks utilized by law enforcement; 12 (d) variable message signs maintained by the department of transporta- 13 tion or other governmental entities; 14 (e) wireless emergency alerts, where permitted under applicable feder- 15 al law; and 16 (f) any other means reasonably calculated to assist in the safe recov- 17 ery of the missing vulnerable person. 18 5. Rules and regulations. The superintendent of state police may 19 promulgate rules and regulations necessary to implement the provisions 20 of this section, including procedures governing: 21 (a) requests for activation; 22 (b) verification of eligibility; 23 (c) cancellation of alerts; 24 (d) coordination with local, state, and federal agencies; and 25 (e) public education regarding the purple alert program. 26 § 2. This act shall take effect one year after it shall have become a 27 law.
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