Missouri’s new Purple Alert law aims to help find missing people with developmental disabilities
FOX23 News at 9 p.m
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo., (KBSI) — A new Missouri law aimed at helping authorities quickly locate missing people with developmental disabilities took effect Friday.
The law, known as “RJ’s Law,” creates a statewide Purple Alert System within the Missouri Department of Public Safety.
The system is designed to help locate missing people with developmental disabilities when their disappearance poses a credible threat of immediate danger or serious bodily harm and they are believed to be unable to return to safety without assistance.
Under the law, developmental disabilities can include mental or cognitive disabilities, intellectual disabilities, brain injuries and certain other physical, mental or emotional disabilities not related to substance abuse.
For people 60 and older, Alzheimer’s disease and dementia-related disorders are excluded from the law’s definition of a mental or cognitive disability.
The Purple Alert System will work alongside Missouri’s existing alert systems and is intended to help law enforcement and communities respond more quickly when a qualifying person goes missing.
The Missouri Department of Public Safety will work with the Missouri State Highway Patrol, Missouri Department of Transportation, Department of Mental Health, local developmental disability resource boards, the Missouri Lottery and local law enforcement agencies to develop the program.
The law also calls for a training program that incorporates crisis intervention training for law enforcement. The training is intended to help officers better understand developmental disabilities, de-escalate interactions with people in crisis and effectively respond when a person with a developmental disability is reported missing.
While RJ’s Law took effect Aug. 28, the state has until July 1, 2027, to develop the training program and alert system.
The Missouri Department of Public Safety will be responsible for administering the Purple Alert System and establishing rules for its implementation.
RJ’s Law was included in House Bill 1840, which was passed by the Missouri General Assembly during the 2026 legislative session.
