SB 307 — An Act amending the act of November 24, 2004 (P.L.1270, No.153), referred to as the Pennsylvania Amber Alert System Law, establishing the Pennsylvania Purple Alert System; and further providing for immunity.

PRINTER'S NO.    244

                     THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA



                        SENATE BILL
                        No. 307
                                               Session of
                                                 2025

     INTRODUCED BY FONTANA, LAUGHLIN, BOSCOLA, LANGERHOLC, SCHWANK,
        HAYWOOD, PENNYCUICK, CULVER, COMITTA, TARTAGLIONE, COSTA,
        J. WARD, SANTARSIERO AND KANE, FEBRUARY 26, 2025

     REFERRED TO LAW AND JUSTICE, FEBRUARY 26, 2025


                                    AN ACT
 1   Amending the act of November 24, 2004 (P.L.1270, No.153),
 2      entitled "An act providing for the Pennsylvania Amber Alert
 3      System; authorizing and directing the Pennsylvania State
 4      Police to establish and maintain the Pennsylvania Amber Alert
 5      System; assessing costs; and providing for immunity and
 6      penalties," establishing the Pennsylvania Purple Alert
 7      System; and further providing for immunity.
 8      The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
 9   hereby enacts as follows:
10      Section 1.    The title and sections 1 and 5(b) of the act of
11   November 24, 2004 (P.L.1270, No.153), referred to as the
12   Pennsylvania Amber Alert System Law, are amended to read:
13                                  AN ACT
14   Providing for the Pennsylvania Amber Alert System and the
15      Pennsylvania Purple Alert System; authorizing and directing
16      the Pennsylvania State Police to establish and maintain the
17      [Pennsylvania Amber Alert System] alert systems; assessing
18      costs; and providing for immunity and penalties.
19   Section 1.   Pennsylvania Amber Alert System [and], Missing
20                    Endangered Person Advisory System (MEPAS) and
 1                        Pennsylvania Purple Alert System established.
 2      (a)   Pennsylvania Amber Alert System.--The Pennsylvania State
 3   Police shall establish and maintain the Pennsylvania Amber Alert
 4   System to assist in the recovery of abducted children through
 5   prompt notification to the general public, appropriate law
 6   enforcement authorities and other public agencies.
 7      (b)   Missing Endangered Person Advisory System (MEPAS).--The
 8   Pennsylvania State Police shall establish and maintain the
 9   Missing Endangered Person Advisory System to assist in the
10   recovery of missing persons who are at special risk of harm or
11   injury, through prompt notification to the general public,
12   appropriate law enforcement authorities and other agencies.
13      (c)   Pennsylvania Purple Alert System.--
14            (1)   The Pennsylvania State Police shall establish and
15      maintain the Pennsylvania Purple Alert System to notify the
16      public of a missing person with an intellectual disability
17      under paragraph (4).
18            (2)   The Pennsylvania Purple Alert System shall be
19      operated by the Pennsylvania State Police. Activation may be
20      requested by a law enforcement agency if the law enforcement
21      agency determines that there is reason to believe:
22                  (i)    the missing individual is at risk;
23                  (ii)    the individual is missing due to the
24            individual's physical or mental health condition; and
25                  (iii)    there is sufficient information available to
26            disseminate that could assist in locating the missing
27            individual.
28            (3)   The notification under this subsection shall include
29      a description of the missing person and other appropriate
30      information.

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 1            (4)   As used in this subsection, the following words and
 2      phrases shall have the meanings given to them in this
 3      paragraph unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:
 4            "Intellectual disability."         Regardless of the age of the
 5      individual, significantly subaverage general intellectual
 6      functioning of an individual that is accompanied by
 7      significant limitations in adaptive functioning in at least
 8      two of the following skill areas:
 9                  (i)    Communication.
10                  (ii)    Self-care.
11                  (iii)    Home living.
12                  (iv)    Social and interpersonal.
13                  (v)    Use of community resources.
14                  (vi)    Self-direction.
15                  (vii)    Functional academic.
16                  (viii)    Work.
17                  (ix)    Health and safety.
18   Section 5.     Immunity.
19      * * *
20      (b)   Good Samaritan immunity.--Any person who provides,
21   obtains or attempts to provide or obtain assistance for a child
22   who is the subject of a Pennsylvania Amber Alert System notice
23   [or], a person who is the subject of a Missing Endangered Person
24   Advisory or a person who is the subject of a Pennsylvania Purple
25   Alert System notice shall be immune from civil liability for
26   acts or omissions in providing or obtaining or attempting to
27   provide or obtain assistance except for acts or omissions
28   intended to cause harm and for which the law does not recognize
29   justification or that constitute gross negligence or willful,
30   wanton or reckless conduct.

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1     Section 2.    This act shall take effect immediately.




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