In the near future, I will be introducing legislation to establish a “Purple Alert” system in Pennsylvania.  Similar to Amber Alert (for abducted children), Silver Alert (for missing older adults), and Green Alert (for missing at-risk veterans), the Purple Alert system is designed to rapidly notify the public and law enforcement when an individual with certain cognitive, intellectual, or developmental disabilities goes missing. 
 
This bill is necessary following the recent and preventable death of 6-year-old Aiden Ha, a nonverbal autistic child from Columbia County who went missing on October 4, 2025.  Despite an extensive, multi-agency effort involving law enforcement and community volunteers, Aiden was tragically found deceased.  A Purple Alert system could have immediately disseminated his photo, description, and last know location statewide, thereby mobilizing more eyes, more information, and potentially saving a life. 
 
Many Pennsylvanians live with autism spectrum disorders, traumatic brain injuries, dementia onset at early ages, or other conditions that affect communication, judgement, and awareness.  When such individuals go missing, every minute matters.  Traditional alert systems often exclude them because they do not fit neatly into the criterial for missing alerts. 
 
Please join me in cosponsoring this important legislation to better protect individuals with intellectual disabilities.