(1) The general assembly hereby finds, determines, and declares that:
There are currently millions of people in the United States with medical conditionsthat cause wandering, with many of these individuals becoming lost and missing.
In Colorado, there are currently estimated to be approximately seventy-nine thousandpeople with medical conditions, such as Alzheimer's disease, autism, Down syndrome, and other mental impairments, that cause wandering.
It is estimated that the number of people in Colorado with Alzheimer's disease alonewill increase to approximately one hundred forty thousand by 2025.
Local law enforcement agencies currently expend significant resources searching forindividuals with medical conditions who wander and become lost and missing.
Technology enabling the quick location of missing and lost individuals now exists,and the use of this technology would be beneficial to the citizens of Colorado by allowing lost and missing individuals to be located quickly and safely in a manner that is more cost-effective for the citizens of Colorado.
Establishing a grant program to encourage county sheriffs' departments to establishlifesaver programs pursuant to this section will be beneficial to the citizens of Colorado by saving the lives of lost and missing persons.
The general assembly encourages each county or any combination of counties toimplement a lifesaver program, under which a participant wears a small transmitter on his or her wrist to allow the county sheriffs' departments to electronically locate the participant if necessary using a radio receiver.
The executive director shall serve as the liaison to lifesaver programs in counties thatchoose to implement them and shall administer the state grant moneys awarded for the purpose of starting the programs. The executive director may promulgate such rules as are necessary for the administration of this section, including but not limited to annual deadlines for submitting applications, reporting of search and rescue statistics using technology obtained under this section, and implementation policies for programs. The maximum amount that a county may receive for startup is ten thousand dollars.
(a) If a county initiates a lifesaver program, it may submit a written application in a form specified by the executive director. Counties may submit applications jointly. The application shall include, but not be limited to:
An estimate of the number of people who might qualify for assistance in the county;
An estimate of the startup cost; and
A statement of the number of personnel available for tracking lost individuals.
(b) The executive director shall prioritize the grant awards in accordance with the respective needs of each county for tracking services and the availability of local funding sources, as documented in the applications submitted pursuant to paragraph (a) of this subsection (4). Awards to qualifying counties shall be prorated in accordance with the availability of state grant funds.
(5) (a) If a county accepts a grant under this section, the county shall use such grant moneys to purchase emergency response kits, which shall include equipment necessary to track and triangulate searches, as well as transmitters, and shall provide such training as is necessary for search personnel. Grant moneys awarded under this section shall be used for startup capital equipment costs and initial training of search personnel and inventory including transmitters or any other related equipment or training required in order to implement the program. Counties accepting grant moneys under this section shall manage and provide ongoing costs associated with lifesaver programs once implemented.
(b) For all counties establishing a lifesaver program under this section, the Alzheimer's association Colorado chapter, or its successor organization, shall provide free training for law enforcement and families about the dangers of wandering and other potentially hazardous behavior secondary to Alzheimer's disease, as well as follow-up with families when a wandering incident has occurred. The training shall delineate the course of the disease and the potential for problematic behavior that exists in each stage, and shall provide families and the law enforcement community with the tools for handling difficult situations when they arise and strategies for warding off behavior before it threatens the life and safety of an individual with Alzheimer's disease.
(6) There is hereby created in the state treasury the lifesaver program cash fund. The moneys in the cash fund shall be subject to annual appropriation by the general assembly for the direct and indirect costs of the administration of this section, including grants to counties to implement lifesaver programs. Any interest earned on the investment of moneys in the cash fund shall remain in the cash fund and shall not revert to the general fund of the state at the end of any fiscal year. It is the intent of the general assembly that the maximum amount of state moneys made available to implement lifesaver programs under this section shall be three hundred eighty thousand dollars.
Source: L. 2007: Entire section added, p. 1395, § 2, effective May 30.