Colorado § 24-33.5-415.9 - Local recovery programs for persons who wander - administration - rules - grants to local governments - requirements for recovery programs for persons who wander - website - cash fund - legislative declaration - definitions.

§ 24-33.5-415.9. Local recovery programs for persons who wander - administration - rules - grants to local governments - requirements for recovery programs for persons who wander - website - cash fund - legislative declaration - definitions.

(1) The general assembly hereby finds, determines, and declares that:

(a) There are currently millions of people in the United States with medical conditions that cause wandering, with many of these individuals becoming lost and missing.

(b) In Colorado, there are currently estimated to be approximately seventy-nine thousand people with medical conditions, such as Alzheimer's disease and related dementias, autism, brain injury, or developmental, cognitive, neurological, or chromosomal disorders that may cause people to wander.

(c) It is estimated that the number of people in Colorado with Alzheimer's disease alone will increase to approximately one hundred forty thousand by 2025.

(d) Local law enforcement agencies currently expend significant resources searching for individuals with medical conditions who wander and become lost and missing.

(e) Technology enabling the quick location of missing and lost individuals now exists, and the use of this technology would be beneficial to the citizens of Colorado by allowing lost and missing individuals to be located quickly and safely in a manner that is more cost-effective for the citizens of Colorado.

(f) Establishing a grant program to encourage county sheriffs' departments, municipalities, and county or municipal designees to establish recovery programs for persons who wander pursuant to this section will be beneficial to the citizens of Colorado by providing tools that will increase the chances of saving the lives of lost and missing persons.

(1.5) As used in this section, unless the context otherwise requires:

(a) "Designee" means an organization designated by a county or municipality to administer a recovery program for persons who wander.

(b) "Participant" means a person who has a medical condition such as Alzheimer's disease and related dementias, autism, brain injury, or developmental, cognitive, neurological, or chromosomal disorders, that may cause them to wander and who participates in a recovery program for persons who wander.

(c) "Recovery program for persons who wander" means a program under which a participant has a device that may be used to assist in attempting to electronically locate the participant.

(2) The general assembly encourages each county, any combination of counties, each municipality, any combination of municipalities, any combination of counties and municipalities, or designees to implement and maintain a recovery program for persons who wander.

(3) The executive director shall serve as the liaison to recovery programs for persons who wander and shall administer the state grant money awarded for the purpose of starting or maintaining recovery programs for persons who wander. The executive director may promulgate such rules as are necessary for the administration of this section, including but not limited to annual deadlines for submitting grant applications, reporting of search and rescue statistics using technology obtained under this section, and implementation and maintenance policies for recovery programs for persons who wander. The executive director shall ensure that grants are only awarded to those recovery programs for persons who wander that ensure that every participant in the program is enrolled by their caregiver.

(4) (a) If a county, municipality, or designee either has a recovery program for persons who wander or chooses to initiate a recovery program for persons who wander, it may submit a written grant application in a form specified by the executive director. Counties, municipalities, and designees may submit grant applications jointly. The grant application shall include but not be limited to:

(I) An estimate of the number of people who are at risk of wandering and might qualify for assistance under the recovery program for persons who wander;

(II) An estimate of the startup or maintenance cost of the recovery program for persons who wander; and

(III) A statement of the number of personnel available for tracking lost individuals.

(b) The executive director shall prioritize the grant awards in accordance with the respective needs of each county, municipality, or designee for tracking services and the availability of local funding sources, as documented in the grant applications submitted pursuant to subsection (4)(a) of this section. Awards to qualifying counties, municipalities, and designees shall be prorated in accordance with the availability of state grant money.

(5) (a) If a county, municipality, or designee accepts a grant under this section, the county, municipality, or designee shall use such grant money for equipment costs, training of search personnel, outreach about recovery programs for persons who wander, and any other costs required to implement or maintain a recovery program for persons who wander.

(b) All counties, municipalities, or designees establishing or maintaining a recovery program for persons who wander under this section shall work with organizations who provide services to individuals with medical conditions such as Alzheimer's disease and related dementias, autism, brain injury, or developmental, cognitive, neurological, or chromosomal disorders, that may cause them to wander to provide information to any family member of a participant in a recovery program for persons who wander about wandering, how to prevent wandering, and how to respond to wandering.

(c) The bureau shall provide all counties, municipalities, or designees establishing or maintaining a recovery program for persons who wander under this section with any information the bureau concludes is necessary to effectively initiate or maintain a recovery program for persons who wander.

(5.5) Not later than January 1, 2023, the bureau shall establish and maintain a website that is available to the public free of charge and that:

(a) Lists those counties, municipalities, or designees that have a recovery program for persons who wander and who may qualify to participate in those programs;

(b) Describes how to contact the counties, municipalities, or designees that have a recovery program for persons who wander;

(c) Lists resources for caretakers of persons with medical conditions that cause wandering;

(d) Provides procedures to follow when a participant of a recovery program for persons who wander is determined to be missing;

(e) Describes how the recovery technology used by the recovery programs for persons who wander works; and

(f) Provides any other information the bureau concludes is necessary to better explain and publicize recovery programs for persons who wander.

(6) There is hereby created in the state treasury the recovery program for persons who wander cash fund. The money in the cash fund is subject to annual appropriation by the general assembly for the direct and indirect costs of the administration of this section, including grants to counties, municipalities, and designees to initiate and maintain recovery programs for persons who wander and the creation and maintenance of the website described in subsection (5.5) of this section. Any interest earned on the investment of money in the cash fund remains in the cash fund and does not revert to the general fund of the state at the end of any fiscal year.

Source: L. 2007: Entire section added, p. 1395, § 2, effective May 30. L. 2022: (1)(b), (1)(f), (2), (3), IP(4)(a), (4)(a)(I), (4)(a)(II), (4)(b), (5), and (6) amended and (1.5) and (5.5) added, (SB 22-187), ch. 245, p. 1822, § 1, effective August 10.