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Senate of Pennsylvania
Session of 2017 - 2018 Regular Session

MEMORANDUM

Posted:	February 28, 2017 12:53 PM
From:	Senator Andrew E. Dinniman
To:	All Senate members
Subject:	Premise Alert System

I will reintroduce legislation (SB 1096) establishing Pennsylvania Premise Alert System (PAS) as law so that every community across the Commonwealth has access to this proven system that protects our most vulnerable residents and supports our police and other first responders. In 2008, the PA Premise Alert System was gifted to the state by its creators and put in place as policy but not as law. It is in use in communities around the nation and replicated by law in Illinois and Wisconsin. Last session, this bill was unanimously voted out of the Senate Veterans Affairs & Emergency Preparedness Committee. The Pennsylvania Premise Alert System is an effective and efficient system to allow anyone with any special need, complex medical diagnosis or disability to share pertinent information with local law enforcement and the 911 system. The system consists of a form that was approved by the Pennsylvania State Police Department and the Pennsylvania Department of Health and Human Services. Use of the form by families or individuals is completely voluntary and is endorsed by more than two dozen disability and aging organizations across the Commonwealth. The Pennsylvania Premise Alert System will: (a) Require all police departments to accept and process all Premise Alert Forms that are submitted. 1. Currently every PA State Police Barracks accepts and processes the form 2. 911 Centers are required to accept and process any form that a police department submits 3. The Pa Police Chiefs Association supports the Premise Alert System (b) Require all Human Services Department Support Coordinators to offer a copy of the Premise Alert form once per year for each family that they serve. 1. Aging 2. Mental Health 3. Intellectual and Development Disabilites (c) Require all School Disricts to offer a copy of the Premise Alert form once per year at every IEP (Individual Education Plan) meeting. Over the past several years, the Premise Alert System has been proven to be effective, efficient and cost neutral. It is in use in our largest cities and in our smallest towns. It works in conjunction with special needs registries that are only computer based and allows those without internet access to have their special needs information included. I hope you will join me in co-sponsoring this legislation that will provide consistent and uniform access to basic safety for every resident of Pennsylvania.

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