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Minutes for SB287 - Committee on Public Health and Welfare
Short Title
Expanding the Kansas silver alert plan to include persons 18 years of age or older who have dementia, a developmental disability or a cognitive impairment.
Minutes Content for Mon, Mar 20, 2023
Jenna Moyer, Staff Revisor gave an overview of the bill. She answered questions from committee members.
Sara Hart Weir gave proponent testimony (Attachment1) for SB287 which would add vulnerable communities, including Kansans with intellectual/developmental disabilities (I/DD) including Autism Spectrum Disorder, cognitive impairments and dementia which are 18 years of age and older to the Kansas Silver Alert Plan. There is a higher prevalence of wandering in the I/DD population - both in children and adults. Over a five year period, a third of those with Autism who did wander ended up in harm's way and needed serious medical intervention or, even worse,died. She said that SB387 is yet another measure Kansas can take to protect the community.
Sam Silvey spoke in support of SB287. (Attachment 2). In her testimony, Sam shared the recent incident of her son who is on the autism spectrum who wandered out of the house without their knowledge. After a brief search he was found in the trunk of their car. He was lucky, but not all are so lucky. She said it is critical that individuals with Autism be included in the emergency response system.
Nick Wood gave neutral testimony (Attachment 3). He said SB287 will expand the criteria for the state's Silver Alert public notification to include those with I/DD, but also should include the criteria that they are missing. He would support an amendment that would ensure that simply having one of the disabilities mentioned does not automatically make that person vulnerable.
Stephanie Sanford spoke in opposition to SB287, (Attachment 4) stating that she absolutely understands the need for this legislation and fully supports its intent. However, how the bill is written presents very real concerns on the unintended consequences that would result. The simple existence of a disability is not justification and sets a very dangerous precedent. Her second concern is if two people are in a relationship that is not healthy, and the individual with I/DD seeks to leave, without telling their partner, SB287 allows the abuser to request that a silver alert be made to locate the partner. One of the most dangerous times in an abusive relationship is when one person is trying to leave. She urges the committee to examine and amend the bill to establish guidelines and criteria for the implementation of the silver alert, and develop standards on intake and response that honors and protects the individual with a disability.
Proponent, written only testimony was submitted by:
Kathy Keck, Kansas Council on Developmental Disabilities (Attachment 5)
Delancy Allred, Autism Society of America and Autism Society - The Heartland (Attachment 6)
Stephanie Coleman, Private Citizen (Attachment 7)
Jennifer Smith, Private Citizen (Attachment 8)
Neutral, written only testimony was submitted by:
Robert Jacobs, Kansas Bureau of Investigation. (Attachment 9)
Chairperson Gossage closed the hearing on SB287.
