New bill from Indiana congressman could change how Amber alerts are issued
Beau Buzbee makes emotional plea to Indiana legislators
Beau Buzbee called for lawmakers to act following the death of his daughter Hailey.
A new bill that could change how Amber alerts are issued has been introduced to the U.S. House of Representatives in honor of Hailey Buzbee, a Fishers teen who died after disappearing from her home earlier this year.
On June 10, U.S. Rep. Rudy Yakym, who represents parts of northeast Indiana, introduced the HAILEY Act to give law enforcement more leeway in issuing emergency alerts for missing children.
What is the HAILEY Act? What does it do?
The HAILEY Act proposed by Yakym would amend the PROTECT Act of 2003. Under current law, Yakym said in a news release issued Thursday, alerts are issued only in situations where law enforcement can confirm a child has been abducted or is in immediate danger.
Yakym, who represents Indiana’s 2nd Congressional district, argued such a limited scope makes children vulnerable across the country.
“The High-risk Alert Improvement for Locating Endangered Youth (HAILEY) Act would empower law enforcement to issue AMBER Alerts for individuals under the age of 18 believed to be high-risk missing persons, even when an abduction cannot be immediately confirmed,” a news release from Yakym’s office stated.
What happened to Hailey Buzbee?
Buzbee, 17, went missing from her parent’s home on Jan. 5 to meet Tyler Thomas, according to court documents, a 39-year-old Ohio man she met online.
No Amber or Silver alert was issued for Buzbee.
After an exhaustive search, investigators found Buzbee’s remains in a wooded area Feb. 1 at Wayne National Forest in Perry, Ohio. Thomas has since been charged in connection with her death.
“As a father of three kids, I cannot imagine the pain this family has endured,” Yakym said in the news release. “Hailey Buzbee deserved better, and so do the countless other children who fall through the cracks of an alert system that wasn’t built for the threats they face today.”
Why wasn’t there an Amber or Silver Alert issued for Hailey Buzbee?
Buzbee’s disappearance wasn’t alerted because police initially considered her to be a runaway. The state’s criteria for Amber Alerts required law enforcement to believe a child was abducted and in danger of serious bodily injury or death.
As a result, Buzbee’s family and friends pushed for new legislation.
Introduced in January, House Bill 1303 added “missing children” under the state’s Silver Alert system. The bill found unanimous approval with Indiana state legislators and was signed into law by Gov. Mike Braun in March.
What does Hailey Buzbee’s family say about the HAILEY Act?
The Buzbee family praised the bill and urged lawmakers to act.
“We are deeply grateful to Congressman Rudy Yakym for introducing the HAILEY Act, legislation focused on saving children’s lives and strengthening our nation’s fight and response against this relentless evil seeking to cause grave harm to our most precious gifts from God, our beautiful children,” an unnamed spokesperson for the Buzbee Family said in the news release.
“Real change for families like ours — who just want to keep our children safe — is now one step closer,” a spokesperson said. “We strongly encourage the U.S. House of Representatives to pass this commonsense legislation that could protect the next child before it’s too late.”
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John Tufts covers trending and breaking news for IndyStar and Midwest Connect. Send him a news tip at [email protected]. Find him on BlueSky at JohnWritesStuff.
