U.S. Rep. Yakym Introduces HAILEY Act
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Indiana Congressman Rudy Yakym introduced the HAILEY Act on Wednesday.
The bill is also known as the High-risk Alert Improvement for Locating Endangered Youth Act. It would empower law enforcement to issue AMBER Alerts for missing minors considered high-risk.
The act honors 17-year-old Hailey Buzbee of Fishers, who disappeared in January. Officers later found her dead at Wayne National Forest in Ohio. 39-year-old Tyler Thomas has not been charged with her death. However, he admitted to taking Hailey from her home and driving her across state lines before leading officers to her remains.
Because authorities initially classified Hailey as a runaway rather than an abducted minor, they did not trigger an AMBER Alert.
“As a father of three kids, I cannot imagine the pain this family has endured. Hailey Buzbee deserved better, and so do the countless other children who fall through the cracks of an alert system that wasn’t built for the threats they face today,” Yakym said in a release. “This family is turning unimaginable tragedy into action to make sure no other child suffers the same fate, and I am honored to fight alongside them in Congress to make it happen.”
“We are deeply grateful to Congressman Rudy Yakym for introducing the HAILEY Act, legislation focused on saving children’s lives and strengthening our nation’s fight and response against this relentless evil seeking to cause grave harm to our most precious gifts from God, our beautiful children,” the Buzbee Family said. “Real change for families like ours — who just want to keep our children safe — is now one step closer. We strongly encourage the U.S. House of Representatives to pass this commonsense legislation that could protect the next child before it’s too late.”
