Bill > HB2281

This bill establishes the Turquoise Alert System in Arizona, a quick response mechanism designed to help locate missing persons under specific circumstances. The system allows law enforcement agencies to request an alert when a person under 65 years old has gone missing under suspicious or unexplained conditions, and when the agency believes the person may be in danger. To activate the alert, law enforcement must have exhausted local resources, determined the circumstances are concerning, and have information that could help in the person's safe recovery. The Department of Public Safety is designated to issue these alerts using the federally authorized emergency alert system and must share the information with other notification entities. The bill defines law enforcement agencies broadly to include state, municipal, county, tribal, and federal agencies operating in Arizona, and specifically includes members of federally recognized Indian tribes in the definition of "person". Notably, the bill is named "Emily's Law" in memory of Emily Pike, a San Carlos Apache Tribal member, and aims to create a systematic approach to quickly disseminate information about missing indigenous persons.