JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Missouri lawmakers are considering a bill that would streamline the Amber Alert process. FOX 4 spoke with Missouri House Representative Eric Burlison (R-Greene) on Wednesday. He’s the lawmaker pushing this bill, and while the law’s passage won’t bring Hailey Owens back, lawmakers say it might keep something like her tragic death from happening to another family.
“When she called, that’s when I decided to stop considering the bill, and to take action to actually file a bill,” Rep. Burlison said.
A call from Hailey’s mother is what prompted Rep. Burlison to take action.
“While it was just hours that went by, it was days in her mind,” he said.
Ten-year-old Hailey of Springfield was abducted while walking home from a friend`s house in February.
“In the case of Hailey Owens, it took hours. From testimony that we heard in the committee, it would reduce it to minutes,” said Rep. Burlison.
Testimony was given about a new bill that would speed up the Amber Alert process.
“What this bill will do is take it a much better step forward,” said Rep. Burlison.
A step that would involve combining systems to allow individual law enforcement agencies to use the same process, reducing the time it takes to alert the public about a child abduction.
Some improvements so far: Highway patrol has streamlined its information into one system and made part of the system digital.
“This bill will make sure that we have those checks in place while trying to make sure that we have the best opportunity to find those children in time by making sure the Amber Alert is timely,” Rep. Burlison said.
Another part of this bill will fill positions for the Missouri Board for Amber Alerts. Some of the people who are serving are serving on expired terms and the bill will allow for the governor to pull from different groups to add to that board. The bill must be approved by the committee then passed by the Mo. House and Senate.
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