A. Upon receipt of a notice of a missing person with autism from a law-enforcement agency, the Virginia State Police shall confirm the accuracy of the information and provide assistance in the activation of the Missing Person with Autism Alert Program as the investigation dictates.
B. Missing Person with Autism Alerts may be local, regional, or statewide. The initial decision to make a local Missing Person with Autism Alert shall be at the discretion of the local law-enforcement official. Prior to making a local Missing Person with Autism Alert, the local law-enforcement official shall confer with the Virginia State Police and provide information regarding the missing person with autism to the Virginia State Police. The decision to make a regional or statewide Missing Person with Autism Alert shall be at the discretion of the Virginia State Police.
C. The Missing Person with Autism Alert shall include such information as the law-enforcement agency deems appropriate that will assist in the safe recovery of the missing person with autism.
D. The Missing Person with Autism Alert shall be canceled under the terms of the Missing Person with Autism Alert Agreement. Any local law-enforcement agency that locates a missing person with autism who is the subject of an alert shall notify the Virginia State Police immediately that the missing person with autism has been located.
2020, c. 19; 2021, Sp. Sess. I, c. 189.