Senate approves creation of national alert for search of missing persons

Santo Domingo.– The Senate of the Republic approved in second reading the bill that creates the National Alert for the search for missing persons, an initiative that seeks to strengthen the immediate response of the authorities to cases of disappearance in the country. The legislative proposal, which will now go to the Chamber of Deputies for its knowledge in a single discussion, establishes the creation of the National Alert System (AlertaRD), a mechanism aimed at activating rapid actions to locate and protect people reported as missing, especially those in a condition of vulnerability. The regulations include tools for the prevention, search, and assistance of missing citizens, as well as coordinating responses between different state institutions to act more quickly in the face of imminent danger. The project arises amid concerns about the absence of a specific legal framework that allows for the immediate activation of alerts, which, according to the Senate, has limited the effectiveness of search processes in various cases registered in the country. The initiative also highlights the State's responsibility to guarantee the life, integrity, and safety of individuals, as well as provide social and legal protection to families affected by disappearances.

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During the same legislative session, the Senate approved other initiatives, including the National Seed Bill, which provides for the creation of the National Seed Institute to regulate and strengthen agricultural production. Likewise, lawmakers sanctioned the project that creates the Lomas Redonda-El Comején Natural Monument, in San José de Ocoa, and the initiative that declares November 1st as the National Day of Genealogy and the Dominican Genealogist. In a single reading, the International Cocoa Agreement, adopted in Geneva, and an agreement between the Dominican Republic and Angola on mutual exemption from diplomatic and official visas were also approved. In addition, the plenary session adopted a resolution requesting the conduct of an exclusive census for the province of La Altagracia, as well as several initiatives related to the tourism development of Hato Mayor.