SB340 Alabama 2011 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Ben H. Brooks

Republican

Co-Sponsors

Paul SanfordRusty GloverBill HoltzclawPhillip W. WilliamsClay ScofieldGerald O. DialBryan TaylorTom Whatley

Session

Regular Session 2011

Title

Public Safety Department, Blue Alert System, established, director to oversee, duties to department, director, and law enforcement agencies, notification when suspect wanted for injuring law enforcement officer or if officer is missing

Summary

SB340 would create a statewide Blue Alert system overseen by the Director of the Department of Public Safety to notify officers, media, and the public when a suspect in a case involving the death or serious injury of a peace officer is at large or a peace officer is missing.

What This Bill Does

It establishes the Blue Alert system and assigns the Director to oversee it and set rules. It allows the department to recruit media and other participants and enter agreements to support the alert. It requires law enforcement agencies to cooperate, develop information-sharing plans for their personnel, and use a rapid-response telephone alert to residents in a targeted area. It also provides liability protection for those who disseminate alerts and sets criteria and procedures for activating and ending alerts, including possible area boundaries.

Who It Affects

• Law enforcement agencies and officers: must cooperate with the Department of Public Safety, develop information-sharing plans, and implement the rapid alert system when a Blue Alert is activated, with geographic boundaries determined by the director.
• Media outlets, private entities, and the general public in the affected area: the department can recruit them and enter agreements to support the alert, residents in the target area will receive alerts, and disseminators of alerts are protected from civil liability.

Key Provisions

• Provision 1 establishes the Blue Alert system, defines key terms, designates the Director as statewide coordinator, sets activation criteria (suspect not apprehended and may threaten the public, or missing peace officer), determines area boundaries, and requires verification before activation.
• Provision 2 outlines the roles of participants (law enforcement cooperation, information plans, rapid alert system), the department's ability to recruit media and other participants, agreements for support, liability protections for disseminators, and criteria for terminating alerts when the incident is resolved or no longer effective.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 25, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Public Safety Department