Indiana congressman proposes expanded Amber Alert system after teen’s death
Rep. Rudy Yakym introduces the HAILEY Act to expand Amber Alert criteria after Indiana teen found dead in Ohio.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Rep. Rudy Yakym is advocating for changes to the nation’s Amber Alert notification system following the death of a 17-year-old girl from his Indiana district who went missing and was later found dead in Ohio.
The Republican congressman has introduced the HAILEY Act, named for Hailey Buzbee of Fishers, Indiana, who disappeared from her home in early January and was pronounced dead nearly a month later after her remains were discovered in an Ohio forest. An Amber Alert was never issued for Buzbee because her disappearance was classified as a runaway rather than an abduction.
Proposed Changes to Alert System
Yakym’s legislation would expand the criteria for issuing Amber Alerts to include all children under 18 who are considered “high-risk missing persons.” Currently, alerts are only activated for individuals confirmed by law enforcement as abducted and recognized to be in immediate danger.
The proposed changes would broaden when authorities could activate the emergency notification system that alerts the public through highway signs, radio broadcasts, television announcements, and mobile phone messages.
Family’s Advocacy Drives Legislation
“I spoke with Hailey’s parents this week,” Yakym said in a statement to States Newsroom. “They are some of the bravest, strongest people I’ve ever met, turning the most unimaginable pain a parent can feel into action so no other family has to go through what they’ve been through.”
The congressman’s office announced the legislation in a press release highlighting how current Amber Alert guidelines failed to provide potentially life-saving public assistance in Buzbee’s case. The existing system requires law enforcement to confirm an abduction has occurred before issuing alerts.
Addressing System Gaps
The case illustrates a gap in the current alert system, where missing teenagers classified as runaways do not trigger the wide-reaching public notifications designed to help locate endangered children quickly. The Amber Alert system has been credited with helping to safely recover hundreds of missing children since its implementation.
Yakym’s proposed legislation aims to ensure that high-risk missing children receive the same level of urgent public attention regardless of whether their disappearance is initially classified as an abduction or a runaway situation. The bill would require a reassessment of how authorities determine which missing children cases warrant immediate public notification.
The congressman has not yet announced when the legislation might receive committee consideration or come to a floor vote in the House of Representatives.
