A GOP-led bill cosponsored on June 3 by U.S. Rep. Jason Smith (R-MO) would require that information related to developmental disabilities, Alzheimer’s disease, and dementia are included in alerts issued through the Ashanti Alert communications network.
“There are real gaps in our national missing-person alert framework that do not account for individuals with developmental, cognitive, or intellectual disabilities, leaving communities without timely notifications and law enforcement without the training or tools to respond,” Rep. Smith said. “This legislation will strengthen our nation’s missing-person alert systems to give first responders access to the training they need to act fast and save lives.”
The congressman introduced the Enhanced Alerts for Missing Loved Ones with Disabilities Act of 2026, H.R. 9118, alongside bill sponsor U.S. Rep. Mark Alford (R-MO) to enhance the existing national missing-person alert systems and direct states to provide specialized first-responder training and education for cases of missing individuals with disabilities.
H.R. 9118 would amend Kristen’s Act, a 2000 law named after Kristen Modafferi, an 18-year-old who disappeared in 1997, that authorized the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to support grant programs to help law enforcement locate missing adults.
In 2018, in response to the death of missing Ashanti Billie, 19, Congress passed the Ashanti Alert Act as an amendment to Kristen’s Act to fill a gap in the national missing person alert system, according to a bill summary provided by Rep. Smith’s office.
However, AMBER Alerts and Silver Alerts only cover those aged under 18 and senior citizens, respectively, while the Ashanti Alert is meant to cover those in-between.
Earlier this year, the Missouri legislature unanimously passed RJ’s Law, named after a missing child with autism who later drowned, to create a statewide Purple Alert that would specifically cover individuals with developmental disabilities, the summary says.
If enacted, H.R. 9118 would amend the Ashanti Alert Act to require the same alerts to include whether an individual has a developmental disability, Alzheimer’s, or dementia, and it would require the DOJ to make available to local law enforcement training and educational programs specifically pertaining to dealing with individuals with these disabilities.
“Missouri led the way with RJ’s law, and now we’re bringing those efforts to the federal level,” said Rep. Smith. “This is common-sense, life-saving legislation that I’m proud to lead.”