House Bill 2479 introduces new requirements for the Department of Child Safety (DCS) in Arizona when dealing with cases of missing, abducted, or runaway children. The bill mandates immediate or within 24-hour notification to law enforcement, reporting to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, and updating social media with the child's information. It also requires ongoing monthly efforts to locate the child, outlines steps for when a child is found, and mandates monthly compliance reports to government officials. If compliance drops below 95%, DCS must establish a missing children unit and potentially contract with a consulting firm for improvement recommendations.

The bill amends existing law by adding the requirement to notify the child's school and others who may have information, to request law enforcement to evaluate the case for Amber or Silver Alert criteria, and to create age-progression images for children missing for over two years. It also specifies that DCS must contact law enforcement every seven days, provide in-person contact within 24 hours when a child is located, and assess if the child is a sex trafficking victim. Training for DCS employees is to be developed and refined, and the establishment of a specialized unit is required if compliance with these new procedures is not maintained.

Statutes affected:
Introduced Version: 8-810
House Engrossed Version: 8-810
Senate Engrossed Version: 8-810
Chaptered Version: 8-810