ANNAPOLIS, Md. — The Maryland General Assembly on Friday advanced bipartisan legislation that would create a rapid-response alert network for adults and children with cognitive disabilities who go missing, mirroring the state’s existing Amber and Silver alert systems.
House Bill 1289, sponsored by Del. Jen Terrasa (D-Howard), cleared the House of Delegates in a 119-13 vote and now heads to the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee. The measure would direct the Maryland State Police to activate broadcast and highway signs within two hours of receiving a credible report that a person with dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, autism or another developmental disorder has wandered from home or care.
“Every minute counts when a vulnerable loved one disappears,” Terrasa said during floor debate, citing a state police analysis that half of wandering deaths occur within 24 hours. “This bill gives families and first responders another tool to bring people home safely.”
The proposal would appropriate $1.5 million in the next fiscal year to create public-safety training grants for local departments and to distribute free wearable GPS bracelets to low-income families. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, roughly 110,000 Marylanders live with dementia, while the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that 1 in 44 children statewide are on the autism spectrum.
Sgt. Marcus Boyd of the Prince George’s County Police told lawmakers the agency handled 237 wandering cases last year. “Having a standardized protocol will let us push information statewide instead of waiting for a patchwork of local alerts,” Boyd said.
Some Republicans raised privacy concerns about tracking devices, but the bill’s language stipulates that participation is voluntary and that data cannot be shared for non-emergency purposes. The Maryland Hospital Association and several disability-rights groups testified in support.
If enacted, the alert network would launch on Oct. 1, with an annual report to the legislature detailing activations and outcomes. Analysts say Maryland would join at least nine other states, including Virginia and Texas, that have specialized alerts for people who wander due to cognitive conditions.
Senate committee leaders signaled they expect to move the bill before the session adjourns on April 8. Advocates hope its passage will encourage Congress to reauthorize the federal Missing Americans Alert Program, which expired last year.
“As our population ages, these incidents will only become more frequent,” said Maya Chen, policy director for the nonprofit Pathfinders for Autism. “Maryland has a chance to model a compassionate, technology-driven approach that other states can replicate.”