FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 11, 2015
Minnesota legislation to establish ‘Silver Alert’ moves forward
ST. PAUL – Today, legislation targeted at protecting the safety of the thousands of Minnesotans diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, or a traumatic brain injury passed the Minnesota House Aging and Long Term Care Committee. The bill has the potential to bring peace of mind to families and caretakers of these individuals. The bill (HF805/SF857) was authored by State Rep. Cheryl Youakim (DFL – Hopkins) and State Sen. Kathy Sheran (DFL – Mankato).
The legislation, called the “Silver Alert Bill”, provides state support for a working group to study establishing a Silver Alert System, and report back to the legislature. A ‘Silver Alert’ is similar to an Amber Alert, and would be used to notify law enforcement and the general public of a missing vulnerable adult.
“Like many Minnesota families, ours struggled with caring for a loved one with Alzheimer's that still lived in their home," explained Rep. Youakim. "With the state's demographic shift, we will have more and more families dealing with loved ones aging in place. I want to make sure that we have their backs.”
Senator Sheran is proud to announce that her Senate companion bill has passed through two committees in the Senate and is currently on general orders awaiting final passage.
“We know that 6 in 10 individuals with dementia will wander, during their illness. Minnesota is 1 of only 15 states in the U.S. that does not have a Silver Alert or similar system to address this issue,” said Sen. Sheran. “I’m eager to establish a Silver Alert Workgroup here, so that we can work toward addressing this significant health and safety concern for individuals living with dementia and other cognitive disabilities.”
Rep. Youakim encourages community members to contact her on any legislative issue. She can be reached by email at rep.cheryl.youakim@house.mn or phone at 651-296-9889.
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