Overview
- Rep. Rudy Yakym introduced the HAILEY Act this week, formally filing legislation in the U.S. House to change federal missing‑child alert rules.
- The bill would amend the PROTECT Act so that authorities can trigger AMBER Alerts for minors under 18 judged to be at high risk of harm without a confirmed abduction.
- The proposal was driven by the January case of 17‑year‑old Hailey Buzbee, whose disappearance was classified as a runaway so no AMBER Alert was sent and whose court records say she was groomed online and later found dead.
- Hailey’s family publicly thanked Yakym and urged House passage, and Indiana lawmakers have pursued related state measures on alerts and school online‑safety education.
- If passed, the law could let police warn the public earlier about vulnerable teens, but it would require new standards for what counts as “high risk” and how authorities verify those cases; the bill now awaits House review.