A bill to support an AMBER Alert system on tribal lands could be on the way to becoming law.
On February 23rd, the U.S. House passed the Ashlynne Mike AMBER Alert in Indian Country Act. It would provide funding for tribal governments to create AMBER alert systems, and to integrate them with states to notify the public of kidnappings or disappearances. A similar bill passed the U.S. Senate in November.
The legislation is named after the 11-year-old girl who was abducted and murdered near Shiprock in 2016. At the time, authorities were not able to communicate her disappearance to the public before she was killed.
The Navajo Nation installed an AMBER Alert system in January, but some other reservations in the country still lack the infrastructure necessary to have their own systems.
If passed, supporters say this bill would provide much-needed resources for public safety on reservations. The legislation will now return to the U.S. Senate for approval.
