Bill
HB 4331
Establishes the Ebony Alert to rapidly disseminate alerts for missing women 18–65 deemed at risk, with a state fund, official activation rules, and penalties for false reports.
Status & sponsor
- Short title: "Ebony Alert Act"
- Introduced April 17, 2025 by Rep. Kimberly Edwards (bill electronically reproduced 04/17/2025).
- Referred to: Committee on Government Operations. Recent reported activity (April–May 2025) includes committee consideration, placement on calendars, readings, and transmittal/receipt actions (received from the House 05/12/2025).
Purpose and intent
- Establish a statewide “Ebony Alert” notification system as an official, rapid-response alert for reports of missing women who are believed to be at risk, developmentally disabled, cognitively impaired, or abducted.
- Create an administrative and funding structure to operate and sustain the alert system, and deter and penalize false reports.
Key provisions
- Definitions
- “Ebony alert”: the notification system authorized by the act.
- “Department”: Michigan State Police.
- “Qualifying individual”: specifically defined as a woman between the ages of 18 and 65.
- “At risk”: imminent danger of serious bodily harm or death.
- “False report”: knowingly false report that someone is missing under unexplained/suspicious circumstances or is at risk/developmentally disabled/cognitively impaired/abducted.
- Activation and duties
- A law enforcement agency that receives notice that a qualifying individual is missing under unexplained or suspicious circumstances and reasonably believes the person is at risk (or developmentally disabled, cognitively impaired, or abducted) must notify the Department of State Police and request that an Ebony Alert be issued.
- The Department must establish and maintain an Ebony Alert plan designed to rapidly disseminate useful information in a predetermined manner to radio and television stations in the state.
- Activation is limited to the policies the Department establishes.
- Funding — Ebony Alert Fund
- Creates the Ebony Alert Fund within the Department of State Police to finance maintenance, operation, and administration of the plan.
- Fund sources: legislative appropriations and other receipts (gifts, donations, etc.). Interest/earnings remain in the fund; unexpended funds do not lapse to the general fund.
- Annual appropriation required for distributions.
- Prohibitions and penalties
- It is a misdemeanor to intentionally make or cause a false report to law enforcement, 9‑1‑1, or other authorized recipients, knowing the report is false.
- Penalty: up to 1 year imprisonment, a fine up to $1,000, or both.
- The court may order an adult convicted under this provision to reimburse the State, local governments, and media for response costs (e.g., emergency response vehicles and teams) under the cited statutory restitution authority.
Who is affected
- Primary beneficiaries: law enforcement and the public in locating and protecting qualifying missing women (females 18–65) believed to be at imminent risk or otherwise vulnerable as defined.
- Agencies: Michigan State Police (administrator of the plan and fund) and local law enforcement (responsible for notification/requests).
- Media: radio and television stations designated as dissemination channels.
- Individuals making intentionally false reports face criminal penalties and possible restitution.
Procedural/timeline notes
- The Department must draft and adopt activation policies and establish the advisory/operational elements of the plan before or as part of implementation.
- Funding depends on legislative appropriation to the Ebony Alert Fund; operation is contingent on available appropriations and departmental policy adoption.
- The bill’s limiting definition of “qualifying individual” (women 18–65) is a key scope decision — it restricts who triggers an Ebony Alert.
Potential impacts (concise)
- Expected benefits: faster, coordinated public alerts to aid recovery of certain missing adult women deemed at risk; additional dedicated funding mechanism.
- Costs: administrative and operational expenses paid from appropriations to the Ebony Alert Fund.
- Legal/deterrent effect: criminalizes and allows cost recovery for knowingly false reports.
For further details
- Text excerpts supplied in the introduced bill set out the statutory language for definitions, duties, fund mechanics, and penalties (see Secs. 1–13 of the draft act).
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
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