C-263 · Silver Alert National Framework Act

This enactment provides for the establishment of a national framework to support a coordinated silver alert system across Canada that will help to facilitate timely public notification and ensure the rapid and safe recovery of missing vulnerable older persons. Available on the House of Commons website at the following address: www.ourcommons.ca 1st Session, 45th Parliament, 3 - 4 Charles III, 2025 - 2026 HOUSE OF COMMONS OF CANADA BILL C-263 An Act to establish a national framework for silver alerts Preamble Whereas an aging population is a major demographic trend in Canada and across the industrialized world; Whereas advancing age is a strong risk factor for dementia; Whereas, according to the Alzheimer Society of Canada, researchers project that by 2030, nearly one million Canadians will be living with dementia and that by 2050, that number will exceed 1.‍7 million; Whereas, because of an aging population and the corresponding increase in the prevalence of dementia, the issue of missing persons is a growing concern in Canada; Whereas, if a person living with dementia is not found within 12 hours of going missing, there is a 50% probability that they will be found dead by drowning or suffering from severe or fatal hypothermia or dehydration; Whereas there is no nationally coordinated, centralized emergency alert framework for silver alerts for missing vulnerable older persons; Whereas a national approach, using the existing National Alert Aggregation and Dissemination System, which operates the central technical infrastructure for Canada’s National Public Alerting System, would coordinate alerts for missing vulnerable older persons at a broader level and could significantly improve the chances of safely locating them; And whereas a coordinated national approach requires consultation and collaboration with the provinces and territories; Now, therefore, His Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate and House of Commons of Canada, enacts as follows: Short Title Short title 1 This Act may be cited as the Silver Alert National Framework Act . Interpretation Definitions 2 The following definitions apply in this Act. Minister means the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness.‍ ( ministre ) silver alert means an emergency notification used to notify the public of the disappearance of a vulnerable older person, including a person with dementia, and issued for the purpose of locating the missing person as soon as possible.‍ ( alerte SILVER ) Silver Alert National Framework National framework 3 ( 1 ) The Minister must develop a national framework to support a dedicated, coordinated silver alert system across Canada that helps to ensure the rapid and safe recovery of missing vulnerable older persons. Consultations ( 2 ) In developing the framework, the Minister must consult with representatives of the provincial and territorial governments responsible for public safety, and with other interested persons, including police forces, organizations that issue alerts and care providers who provide services to vulnerable older persons. Content ( 3 ) The framework must include measures to (a) increase the efficiency of the silver alert system by promoting the consistent and coordinated use across Canada of the existing infrastructure for issuing public alerts, including wireless public alerting delivered through cellular broadcast technology; (b) harmonize risk thresholds and the criteria to be met before a silver alert is to be issued, including whether there are reasonable grounds to believe that the missing person’s health or safety is at risk and whether the dissemination of information to the public is likely to assist in locating them; (c) ensure there is a greater chance of locating missing vulnerable older persons regardless of where they go missing; (d) reduce the risk of inappropriate silver alerts being issued; (e) provide for geographically targeted as well as inter-provincial alerts; (f) establish privacy guidelines regarding the personal information that may be disclosed in the silver alert and regarding the duration of the alert; and (g) increase the effectiveness of public participation by supporting public education and awareness campaigns. Agreements Agreements 4 The Minister may enter into an agreement with a province or territory with respect to standards, guidelines and codes of practice to be followed in the administration of a silver alert system. Reports to Parliament Tabling of national framework 5 ( 1 ) Within one year after the day on which this Act comes into force, the Minister must prepare a report setting out the silver alert national framework and cause it to be tabled in each House of Parliament on any of the first 15 days on which that House is sitting after it is completed. Publication ( 2 ) The Minister must publish the report on a publicly available website within 10 days after it has been tabled in both Houses of Parliament. Review of national framework 6...