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<section article="gps" article_name="Public Safety" number="3-604" title_number="3" title_name="Law Enforcement" subtitle_number="6" subtitle_name="Missing Persons">
  <level label="a">
    <level label="1">
      <text>In this section the following words have the meanings indicated.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>“Caregiver” means a parent, spouse, guardian, legal custodian, or person responsible for the supervision of another adult.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>“Law enforcement agency” means a State, county, or municipal police department or agency, or a sheriff’s department.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="4">
      <text>“Missing person” means an individual:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>whose whereabouts are unknown;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>who suffers a cognitive impairment including a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease or dementia to the extent that the individual requires assistance from a caregiver; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iii">
        <text>whose disappearance poses a credible threat to the health and safety of the individual due to age, health, mental or physical disability, environment, or weather conditions, as determined by a law enforcement agency.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="b">
    <level label="1">
      <text>The Department of State Police shall establish a Silver Alert Program to provide a system for rapid dissemination of information to assist in locating a missing person.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>The Department of State Police shall:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>adopt guidelines and develop procedures for issuing a Silver Alert for a missing person;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>provide training to local law enforcement agencies on the guidelines and procedures to be used to handle a report of a missing person;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iii">
        <text>provide assistance to a local law enforcement agency, as necessary, to assist in the safe recovery of a missing person;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iv">
        <text>recruit public and commercial television and radio broadcasters, local volunteer groups, and other members of the public to assist in developing and implementing a Silver Alert;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="v">
        <text>consult with the State Highway Administration to establish a plan for providing information relevant to a Silver Alert to the public through the dynamic message sign system located across the State; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="vi">
        <text>consult with the State Department of Education to develop a program that:</text>
        <level label="1">
          <text>allows high school students to assist in the search for a missing person under this section;</text>
        </level>
        <level label="2">
          <text>complies with COMAR 13A.03.02.06; and</text>
        </level>
        <level label="3">
          <text>is consistent with the student service–learning guidelines developed by the State Department of Education.</text>
        </level>
      </level>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="c">
    <text>A caregiver or person filing a report regarding a missing person immediately shall notify the local law enforcement agency with which the report was filed and the Department of State Police if:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>the missing person who was the subject of the report is located; and</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>it is unlikely that the local law enforcement agency or the Department of State Police has knowledge that the missing person has been located.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
</section>
