Age for the issuance of a Missing Child Alert, the official text

2025 - 2026 LEGISLATURE
LRB-0807/1
CMH:cjs

2025 SENATE BILL 466
October 2, 2025 - Introduced by Senators James, L. Johnson, Dassler-Alfheim, Keyeski, Larson, Marklein, Pfaff, Ratcliff, Roys and Spreitzer, cosponsored by Representatives Stubbs, Spiros, Rodriguez, Anderson, Behnke, Clancy, Dittrich, Fitzgerald, Franklin, Goeben, Haywood, Joers, Johnson, Kaufert, Madison, McCarville, Melotik, Miresse, Murphy, Mursau, Ortiz-Velez, O'Connor, Palmeri, Phelps, Piwowarczyk, Roe, Sheehan, Sinicki, Snodgrass, Steffen and Stroud. Referred to Committee on Mental Health, Substance Abuse Prevention, Children and Families.

An Act to amend 175.51 (1m) (a) 2. of the statutes; relating to: age for the issuance of a Missing Child Alert.

Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
The Department of Justice currently administers several alert systems, under which DOJ works with law enforcement agencies, broadcasters, and others to disseminate information regarding certain cases involving endangered children, veterans at risk, missing persons at risk, and missing children at risk. These alerts are commonly known, respectively, as Amber Alerts, Green Alerts, Silver Alerts, or Missing Child Alerts.
Under current law, the Missing Child Alert applies to a missing person under 18 who is not covered by the Amber Alert if the minor is believed to be incapable of returning home without assistance due to a physical or mental condition or disability or if the minor is under 10. Under this bill, the minor must be under 12 instead of under 10 before a Missing Child Alert could be issued for the missing minor without further conditions.

The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. 175.51 (1m) (a) 2. of the statutes is amended to read:

175.51 (1m) (a) 2. A person who has not attained the age of 18 years, whose location is unknown, and whose situation does not qualify for another alert and the person is believed to be incapable of returning home without assistance due to a physical or mental condition or disability or the person has not attained the age of 10 12 years.
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