CHARLESTON, WV (WOWK) — A bill to create an alert system for missing people with a mental or cognitive disability is on its first reading in the West Virginia State Senate as of Thursday.

House Bill 3188, or the Purple Alert Plan, passed the House of Delegates on Feb. 24.

The bill says these alerts can be extremely effective in finding a missing person with a cognitive disability. Sending these alerts would let the public know details to look out for.

“It puts the information out there to the general public so they would be able to get this individual help if they were to see them,” James Thompson, a Purple Alert Plan advocate, said. “They can get in touch with law enforcement, EMS or whoever they need to get this person home safely.”