West Virginia Code 15-3E-2 – Findings and declarations relative to Green Alert Plan
(a) The Legislature finds that:
Terms Used In West Virginia Code 15-3E-2
- at-risk veteran: means a person who is currently serving in the armed forces on active duty, reserve status, or in the National Guard, or a person who served in the active military, or who was discharged or released under conditions other than dishonorable who is known, based on the information provided by the person making the report, to have a physical or mental health condition that is related to his or her service. See West Virginia Code 15-3E-3
(1) According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, 20 veterans commit suicide each day across the country;
(2) While veterans make up less than nine percent of the total U.S. population, tragically, they account for 19 percent of all suicides in America;
(3) By establishing the Green Alert Plan, law enforcement will be provided with additional tools that will help them in responding to an at-risk veteran‘s disappearance and place an emphasis on the risk of suicide for veterans with a service-related condition;
(4) The Green Alert Plan would also allow for a more rapid dissemination of information on the missing at-risk veteran to the public, who, having been alerted to the situation, now become an extensive network of eyes and ears serving to assist law enforcement in quickly locating and safely recovering a missing at-risk veteran, and potentially saving them serious injury or suicide; and
(5) Given the success of both the Amber and Silver Alert systems, expanding the program to include at-risk veterans is imperative to help those who have served.
(b) The Legislature declares that creating a Green Alert is a way to prevent more tragedies and help ensure our veterans get back home safely.