Lawmakers gave final approval for a bill that slightly changes the state’s alert system for missing or endangered children in the wake of the disappearance and death of 17-year-old Hailey Buzbee.
The Senate adjusted a bill to now include “missing children” under the Silver Alert system, which is more commonly used for missing adults.
Previously, lawmakers made a change to the Amber Alert system to include missing “high-risk” children, but concerns were raised that the change could overwhelm that alert system which is specifically reserved for cases of children being abducted.
The Senate made the change this week saying that lawmakers are still committed to reevaluating Indiana’s alert system to better handle missing children’s cases, like in Buzbee’s case.
Buzbee disappeared from her Fishers home on Jan. 5. After weeks missing, Fishers police announced Buzbee was dead, her body identified in Ohio.
Buzbee was reportedly speaking with an Ohio man, Tyler Thomas, through an online gaming app and continued to speak with him via an encrypted messaging app called “Session,” according to IndyStar.
Her death caused many to call for a change to the way Indiana classifies when alerts are sent out regarding missing children, to better include cases of grooming.
Sen. Brett Clark (R-Avon), however, explained that the change to include the missing children language in the Silver Alert system instead was due to concerns raised that it would overwhelm the state’s Amber Alert system.
Clark said that in Marion County alone, it could increase the number of alerts to 2,000 in a single year.
“This was in response to some recent cases and some data that came to light after the fact, sort of one of those unintended consequences,” Clark said on the Senate floor this week. “And I think this was just the best way to keep the systems intact and respect our federal systems as they were designed.”
If signed by the governor, the change would take effect immediately.