§ 143B-1775.  North Carolina Ashanti Alert established.

(a) There is established within the North Carolina Center for Missing Persons the Ashanti Alert. The purpose of the Ashanti Alert is to provide a statewide system for the rapid dissemination of information regarding a missing person over 18 years of age that is suspected to have been abducted and there is both abductor and vehicle information available.

(b) If the Center receives a request that involves a missing person as described in subsection (a) of this section, and at the time of receipt no more than 72 hours have passed since the person went missing, the Center shall issue an alert providing for rapid dissemination of information statewide regarding the missing person. The Center shall make every effort to disseminate the information as quickly as possible when the person's status as missing has been reported to a law enforcement agency, including procedures for the use of the Emergency Alert System and the Wireless Emergency Alert.

(c) The Center shall adopt guidelines and develop procedures for issuing a 24-hour alert for missing persons as described in subsection (a) of this section and shall provide education and training to encourage radio and television broadcasters to participate in the alert.

(d) The Center shall consult with the Department of Transportation and develop a procedure for the use of overhead permanent changeable message signs to provide information on the missing person or missing child meeting the criteria of this section when information is available that would enable motorists to assist in the recovery of the missing person or missing child. The Center and the Department of Transportation shall develop guidelines for the content, length, and frequency of any message to be placed on an overhead permanent changeable message sign.  (2025-4, s. 5.1(d).)