SENATE LAW AND PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

SENATE, No. 2802

with committee amendments

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED:  DECEMBER 4, 2025

      The Senate Law and Public Safety Committee reports favorably and with committee amendments Senate Bill No. 2802.

      As reported and amended by the committee, Senate Bill No. 2802 requires media outlets that participate in the “Silver Alert System” to issue the same broadcast alerts used when an “Amber Alert” is initiated following a child’s abduction.   

     The “Silver Alert System” is a Statewide program for the dissemination of information regarding a missing person believed to be suffering from dementia or other cognitive impairment.  Under current law, the program is a cooperative effort between State and local law enforcement agencies and print, radio, and television media outlets.

     This bill requires participating media outlets, when responding to a “Silver Alert,”  to broadcast a distinctive sound tone and the statement: “This is a Missing Person Silver Alert.”  The alert is to include a description of the missing person and other information the enforcement agency deems appropriate.  In addition, the alert is to be broadcast as often as possible for the first three hours that a “Silver Alert” is in progress.  After the initial three hours, the alerts are to be rebroadcast at intervals that the lead law enforcement agency and participating media deem appropriate.

      As amended and reported by the committee, Senate Bill No. 2802 is identical to Assembly Bill No. 2415, which was also reported by the committee on this date.

COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS:

      The committee made a technical amendment to make the bill identical to Assembly Bill No. 2415.