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Committee OKs 'spectrum alert' bill to notify communities when autistic people go missing
Summary
After emotional testimony from a mother who lost a child to drowning, the committee reported House Bill 74 as amended. The bill would create a local alert system to notify the public when an autistic person at risk of elopement goes missing and includes training for first responders.
Krisha Poole told the committee she supports House Bill 74 to create a 'spectrum alert' system to notify communities when an autistic person who is at risk of wandering or elopement goes missing. Poole described a recent local drowning and said a targeted alert system could mobilize local community members quickly to search high-risk areas, especially near water.
Poole urged the committee to include training for law enforcement, fire, EMS, and wildlife and fisheries personnel in responding to missing autistic persons and stressed the urgency of the first hours of a disappearance: “When a child with autism goes missing, time is everything.” Stakeholders including the Louisiana Fraternal Order of Police and local law-enforcement commissions provided support cards.
The committee adopted amendments and reported House Bill 74 as amended. Sponsors said they will continue to work on technical language and coordination with local alert infrastructure.
