Missouri Senate Committee Approves Purple Alert System for Missing Disabled
Missouri senators unanimously approved creating Purple Alert notifications for missing disabled individuals while considering stricter school bus penalties.
JEFFERSON CITY, MISSOURI — A Missouri Senate committee voted unanimously Monday to advance legislation creating a statewide alert system for missing persons with disabilities, while also hearing testimony on tougher penalties for school bus stop violations.
The Senate Committee on Transportation, Infrastructure and Public Safety approved the Purple Alert System bill, which would establish notifications similar to Amber or Silver alerts specifically for individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities who go missing. The committee also heard but did not vote on House Bill 2742, which would impose harsher penalties for drivers who illegally pass stopped school buses.
Purple Alert System Aims to Close Gap
State Rep. Sherri Gallick, a Republican from Belton, sponsored the Purple Alert legislation following the death of a 4-year-old autistic child who wandered away from home. When the child went missing, an Amber Alert could not be issued because authorities determined he had not been kidnapped.
“The House floor voted in favor of the emergency clause, 143 to 8,” said Danielle Rocha, a witness who testified in favor of the bill. “The sooner we can implement this law, the sooner we can intervene in elopement cases, and drive down the statistics of losing loved ones.”
The Purple Alert System would notify the public when an individual of any age with intellectual or developmental disabilities goes missing. The system would not include individuals over 60 with Alzheimer’s or dementia, or those with substance abuse-related disabilities, as these cases fall under existing alert systems.
Implementation Expected Next Summer
The alert system would build upon Missouri’s existing emergency notification infrastructure and is expected to be implemented next summer if the legislation passes. Gallick noted that an emergency clause previously included in the bill had been removed, which would have accelerated the system’s development timeline.
School Bus Safety Penalties Under Review
The committee also heard testimony on legislation that would strengthen penalties for stop arm violations, when drivers illegally pass stopped school buses that are loading or unloading students. Republican state Rep. Mike Jones of Kansas City sponsored the bill addressing what is currently classified as a Class A misdemeanor.
“(This bill) ensures the law is taken seriously so that children at the bus stop are protected,” Jones said during the hearing.
Under Jones’ proposed legislation, courts could impose a minimum fine of $500 for a driver’s first stop arm violation. Second and third violations would result in increased fines and license suspensions of up to six months.
Jones cited data from the Platte County School District near Kansas City, which has recorded 163 stop arm violations since the current school year began, highlighting the scope of the problem the legislation aims to address.
The Purple Alert System bill now moves forward in the legislative process, while the school bus safety measure awaits further committee action.
