Bill > HB4518

This bill modifies the Michigan Amber Alert Act by expanding the criteria for activating the Michigan Amber Alert plan. The bill requires the Department of State Police to activate the Amber Alert system in two specific scenarios: first, when a child with special needs goes missing, and second, when a law enforcement agency conducts a preliminary investigation and determines a missing child is in danger. The bill provides a detailed definition of "child with special needs," which includes individuals up to 26 years old who have not graduated high school and have been evaluated under disability education guidelines, with a qualifying impairment determined by an education program team, family service plan team, judge, or healthcare professional. The bill changes the language from "shall" to "must" regarding alert activation and adds specificity to the conditions under which an alert can be triggered. The bill is also named the "Rowan Act," suggesting it may have been prompted by a specific incident or person's story related to missing children with special needs.