Bill 215.

Summary.

The bill establishes the National AMBER Alert System to coordinate the dissemination of information and the search for, location, and recovery of children and adolescents under 18 who are missing, abducted, disappeared, or unaccounted for in the Republic of Panama. It declares the matter one of public order and social interest and provides for joint participation by public institutions, nongovernmental organizations, private companies, security agencies, local governments, and the media. Its principles are the best interests of the minor, prompt action, institutional coordination, and solidarity; it includes information sharing, databases, agreements, and direct communication among institutions.

The system is structured around a Board of Directors, an Early Activation Office attached to the Ministry of Public Security (Ministerio de Seguridad Pública), an executive director, and technical units. The Board of Directors, chaired by the Ministry of Public Security, brings together representatives of the Ministry of Government (Ministerio de Gobierno), the Public Prosecutor’s Office (Ministerio Público), the Ministry of Social Development (Ministerio de Desarrollo Social), the National Secretariat for Children, Adolescents and Families (Secretaría Nacional de Niñez, Adolescencia y Familia), the National Police (Policía Nacional), the National Migration Service (Servicio Nacional de Migración), and the National Public Services Authority (Autoridad Nacional de los Servicios Públicos), as well as the Panamanian Chamber of Private Security (Cámara Panameña de Seguridad Privada), the National Journalism Council (Consejo Nacional de Periodismo), and civil society organizations. Its members have the right to speak and vote. The Board would coordinate actions and protocols, promote campaigns, approve agreements and internal rules, and ratify the executive director’s appointment. The bill establishes rules for quorum, in-person or virtual meetings, and selection of the nongovernmental organizations’ representative.

The Early Activation Office would activate alerts, inform the public, and implement the interinstitutional coordination plan. It could coordinate the publication of images and the placement of notices on public roads, in high-traffic areas, and through electronic media. It would maintain a website, official social media accounts, and a mobile application for activation and deactivation notifications. It would also register reports, submit an annual statistical report to the Board of Directors, request assistance from the National Integrated Criminal Statistics System (Sistema Nacional Integrado de Estadísticas Criminales), prepare cooperation agreements, and oversee protocols and training programs. The executive director would serve as the Board’s secretary and would have to meet the bill’s requirements concerning nationality, age, education, experience, and absence of a conviction for an intentional offense.

Activating an alert would require information sufficient to identify the minor and express consent from the person exercising parental authority or legal guardianship or, in that person’s absence, certain relatives. If consent cannot be obtained because the relevant person is absent or refuses, the Board of Directors could order activation by administrative resolution. Dissemination would last between 5 and 24 hours; an exceptional extension would require a new alert with additional information. The message would include case details, identifying characteristics, and the number of the Single Emergency Management System 9-1-1 (Sistema Único de Manejo de Emergencias 9-1-1). It could be updated and disseminated through the media and electronic channels and could include a warning about a possible suspect. Mobile telephone operators would transmit it to their customers under the oversight of the National Public Services Authority.

Reports received by authorities or other entities would be communicated immediately to the Early Activation Office. Its actions would be independent of criminal investigations by the Public Prosecutor’s Office. The Office would deactivate an alert if the minor is located, the risk increases, there is no danger, or other investigative resources are needed, and would communicate the decision to the dissemination channels. The bill provides for budget allocations, authorizes the Ministry of Government to transfer equipment and files to the Ministry of Public Security, replaces Law 230 of June 24, 2021, and assigns implementing regulations to the Executive Branch (Órgano Ejecutivo). Its content may be of interest to the Ministry of Economy and Finance (Ministerio de Economía y Finanzas), families, educational and health facilities, the media, telecommunications and transport operators, and establishments open to the public.