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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the creation of a statewide alert system for missing |
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military members. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Chapter 411, Government Code, is amended by |
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adding Subchapter P to read as follows: |
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SUBCHAPTER P. CAMO ALERT FOR MISSING MILITARY MEMBERS |
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Sec. 411.441. DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter: |
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(1) "Alert" means the statewide camo alert for missing |
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military members that is developed and implemented under this |
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subchapter. |
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(2) "Local law enforcement agency" means a local law |
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enforcement agency with jurisdiction over the investigation of a |
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missing military member. |
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(3) "Military member" means a person who is a current |
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or former member of the United States armed forces, including the |
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National Guard or a reserve or auxiliary unit of any branch of the |
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armed forces. |
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Sec. 411.442. CAMO ALERT FOR MISSING MILITARY MEMBERS. |
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With the cooperation of the Texas Department of Transportation, the |
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office of the governor, and other appropriate law enforcement |
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agencies in this state, the department shall develop and implement |
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a statewide camo alert to be activated on behalf of a missing |
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military member who suffers from a mental illness, including |
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post-traumatic stress disorder, or a traumatic brain injury. |
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Sec. 411.443. ADMINISTRATION. (a) The director is the |
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statewide coordinator of the alert. |
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(b) The director shall adopt rules and issue directives as |
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necessary to ensure proper implementation of the alert. The rules |
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and directives must include: |
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(1) the procedures to be used by a local law |
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enforcement agency to verify whether a military member: |
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(A) is missing; and |
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(B) suffers from a mental illness, including |
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post-traumatic stress disorder, or a traumatic brain injury; |
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(2) a description of the circumstances under which a |
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local law enforcement agency is required to report a missing |
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military member to the department; and |
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(3) the procedures to be used by an individual or |
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entity to report information about a missing military member to |
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designated media outlets in Texas. |
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(c) The director shall prescribe forms for use by local law |
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enforcement agencies in requesting activation of the alert system. |
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Sec. 411.444. DEPARTMENT TO RECRUIT PARTICIPANTS. The |
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department shall recruit public and commercial television and radio |
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broadcasters, private commercial entities, state or local |
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governmental entities, the public, and other appropriate persons to |
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assist in developing and implementing the alert system. |
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Sec. 411.445. STATE AGENCIES. (a) A state agency |
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participating in the alert system shall: |
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(1) cooperate with the department and assist in |
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developing and implementing the alert system; and |
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(2) establish a plan for providing relevant |
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information to its officers, investigators, or employees, as |
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appropriate, once the alert system has been activated. |
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(b) In addition to its duties as a state agency under |
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Subsection (a), the Texas Department of Transportation shall |
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establish a plan for providing relevant information to the public |
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through an existing system of dynamic message signs located across |
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the state. |
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Sec. 411.446. NOTIFICATION TO DEPARTMENT OF MISSING |
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MILITARY MEMBER. (a) A local law enforcement agency shall notify |
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the department if the agency: |
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(1) receives notice of a missing military member; |
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(2) verifies that at the time the military member is |
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reported missing: |
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(A) the person reported missing is a military |
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member; |
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(B) the military member's location is unknown; |
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(C) the military member's domicile is in Texas; |
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and |
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(D) the military member suffers from a mental |
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illness, including post-traumatic stress disorder, or a traumatic |
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brain injury; and |
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(3) determines that the military member's |
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disappearance poses a credible threat to the military member's |
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health and safety or the health and safety of another. |
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(b) The local law enforcement agency shall: |
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(1) require the family or legal guardian of the |
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missing military member to provide documentation of the military |
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member's mental illness to verify the condition as required by |
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Subsection (a)(2)(D); and |
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(2) as soon as practicable, determine whether the |
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military member's disappearance poses a credible threat to the |
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military member's health and safety or the health and safety of |
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another for purposes of Subsection (a)(3). |
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Sec. 411.447. ACTIVATION OF CAMO ALERT. (a) When a local |
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law enforcement agency notifies the department under Section |
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411.446, the department shall confirm the accuracy of the |
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information and, if confirmed, immediately issue an alert under |
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this subchapter in accordance with department rules. |
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(b) In issuing the alert, the department shall send the |
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alert to designated media outlets in Texas. Following receipt of |
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the alert, participating radio stations, television stations, and |
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other media outlets may issue the alert at designated intervals to |
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assist in locating the missing military member. |
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Sec. 411.448. CONTENT OF CAMO ALERT. The alert must |
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include: |
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(1) all appropriate information that is provided by |
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the local law enforcement agency under Section 411.446 and that may |
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lead to the safe recovery of the missing military member; and |
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(2) a statement instructing any person with |
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information related to the missing military member to contact a |
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local law enforcement agency. |
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Sec. 411.449. TERMINATION OF CAMO ALERT. (a) The director |
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shall terminate any activation of the alert with respect to a |
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particular missing military member not later than the earlier of |
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the date on which: |
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(1) the missing military member is located or the |
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situation is otherwise resolved; or |
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(2) the notification period ends, as determined by |
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department rule. |
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(b) A local law enforcement agency that locates a missing |
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military member who is the subject of an alert under this subchapter |
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shall notify the department as soon as possible that the missing |
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military member has been located. |
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SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017. |