WASHINGTON, D.C. – Yesterday evening, Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC) joined Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY) to introduce Kevin and Avonte’s Law, which will help families locate missing loved ones who have Alzheimer’s Disease, autism or other related conditions that may cause them to wander away from their caregivers. The legislation will reauthorize the expired Missing Alzheimer’s Disease Patient Alert Program, and includes new provisions to support people with autism.
“I’m honored to join Senator Grassley and Senator Schumer in their effort to create a system that will help locate children with autism who are prone to wandering,” said Senator Tillis. “This legislation will give families in North Carolina and across the nation the peace of mind that our local communities and first responders have the resources to help find missing children with autism spectrum disorder and adults with Alzheimer’s Disease.”
According to the Alzheimer’s Association, 2,872 North Carolinians died due to Alzheimer’s Diseases in 2013. The prevalence rate of autism spectrum disorder in North Carolina is 1 in 58 children according to a recent CDC report.
Kevin and Avonte’s Law is named in honor of two boys with autism who died after their conditions caused them to wander. Nine year-old Kevin Curtis Wills, jumped into Iowa’s Raccoon River near a park and tragically drowned in 2008. Avonte Oquendo, 14, wandered away from his school and drowned in New York City’s East River in 2014.
The legislation reauthorizes existing programs designed to assist in locating Alzheimer’s Disease and dementia patients, and it adds new support for people with autism. It allows Justice Department grants to be used by state and local law enforcement agencies and nonprofits for education and training programs with the goal of proactively preventing individuals with these conditions from wandering off. The legislation also provides access to resources for state and local agencies and organizations to assist in locating these individuals who become separated from their caregivers.
The grants will facilitate the development of training and emergency protocols for school personnel, supply first responders with additional information and resources, and make local tracking technology programs available for individuals who may wander from safety because of their condition. Grant funding may also be used to establish or enhance notification and communications systems for the recovery of missing children with autism.
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