INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (WOWO) — The family of Hailey Buzbee is urging Congress to change the federal Amber Alert system after the Indiana teenager was reported missing as a runaway and later found dead in Ohio. Buzbee, 17, was reported missing from her Fortville, Indiana, home on January 6. Her remain s were discovered February 1 in Wayne National Forest in Perry County, Ohio. A federal grand jury indicted 39-year-old Tyler Thomas on September 23 on nine charges connected to Buzbee’s disappearance and death. Prosecutors accuse Thomas of sexually exploiting, murdering and dismembering the teenager. Buzbee’s family is now calling for action on federal legislation named after her that would expand the circumstances under which law enforcement could issue an Amber Alert. Under current federal guidelines, an Amber Alert generally requires law enforcement to have reasonable grounds to believe a child has been abducted and is in imminent danger of serious bodily injury or death, along with other criteria. Buzbee was initially classified as a runaway, meaning an Amber Alert was not issued when she was first reported missing. Investigators later determined that Buzbee had allegedly been communicating with Thomas online for more than a year and that he picked her up on the night she disappeared. The proposed High-risk Alert Improvement for Locating Endangered Youth Act, known as the HAILEY Act, would broaden the system. The legislation, introduced by Indiana Republican Congressman Rudy Yakym in June, would allow law enforcement to issue an Amber Alert for someone under 18 who is reasonably believed to be a high-risk missing person, even when investigators cannot immediately establish that an abduction occurred. Yakym said the legislation is intended to address situations involving missing children who may face serious danger but do not meet the existing criteria for an Amber Alert. Following Thomas’ indictment, Hailey’s father, Beau Buzbee, called on Congress to move the legislation forward. “We respectfully call upon House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan of Ohio to help move the HAILEY Act forward through the committee and onto the House floor for a vote,” Buzbee said. He also said current alert systems do not fully account for the ways children can be targeted and moved in today’s environment. “Our nation’s outdated laws and alert systems do not fully reflect the risks children face today, including the speed, reach and methods predators and traffickers use to conceal and move them,” Buzbee said. “We must update these protections to meet the realities of today’s threats.” The HAILEY Act was introduced June 10 and referred to the House Judiciary Committee. As of Tuesday, the legislation had not advanced out of committee. Under federal law, legislation that does not become law before the end of the 119th Congress on January 3, 2027, would have to be reintroduced in the next Congress. The proposal is one of several legislative efforts that have followed Buzbee’s death. Ohio state lawmakers Michele Reynolds and Kristina Roegner introduced Senate Bill 379, known as Hailey’s Law, in March. The Ohio legislation would establish several requirements related to missing children and online safety. Among other provisions, the bill would require the Ohio attorney general to establish a statewide camera footage registry. It would also impose requirements on gaming platform providers and developers and require public schools to provide grooming awareness and prevention instruction. The bill is currently pending in the Ohio Senate General Government Committee. Indiana has also changed its laws following Buzbee’s death. Indiana Gov. Mike Braun signed legislation in March expanding the state’s Silver Alert system to include all high-risk missing children. Previously, the system covered endangered adults and certain missing children with specific mental or physical disabilities. Another Indiana law increased penalties for certain crimes involving child sexual abuse material. A separate measure signed by Braun requires social media platforms to obtain verifiable parental consent before allowing children under 16 to create accounts. The federal HAILEY Act and the state legislation in Ohio and Indiana address different aspects of missing-child investigations and child safety, but all were introduced or advanced following Buzbee’s death. The federal proposal would specifically address the criteria for issuing an Amber Alert, potentially allowing alerts in cases where a child is considered high-risk even when an abduction has not yet been established. For Buzbee’s family, the effort is focused on changing that process so other missing children who may be in danger can receive broader attention from law enforcement and the public earlier in an investigation. The post HAILEY Act Would Expand Amber Alerts for High-Risk Missing Children appeared first on WOWO News/Talk 92.3 FM and 1190 AM. ...read more read less