New York Governor Andrew Cuomo signs Silver Alert bill into law

New York became the 29th state in America to adopt a Silver Alert style program for missing seniors. The program, called “Gold Alert” in New York, was signed into law by Governor Andrew Cuomo.

From the New York Daily News:

New York will soon have a new statewide alert system for adults with Alzheimer’s Disease or dementia who go missing similar to the Amber Alert program for missing children.

Gov. Cuomo announced this afternoon that he signed a bill into law creating a new “silver” alert  system for congitively impaired adults who wander away from home or go missing.

“By creating this alert system we are protecting vulnerable adults who go missing from potential harm and helping families find and return their loved ones to safety,” Cuomo said. “Today New York joins a number of other states that have seen the value of this type of system in keeping safe cognitively impaired adults who wander away from home.”

The law, sponsored by Sen. John DeFrancisco (R-Syracuse) and Assemblyman William Magnerelli (D-Syracuse), provides for the rapid public dissemination of information such as photographs and  posters on the missing adults.