Tillis bill assisting families of missing vulnerable persons unanimously passes Senate

The U.S. Senate on Dec. 21 unanimously passed Kevin and Avonte’s Law of 2017, bipartisan legislation cosponsored by U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) that would help families locate missing loved ones who suffer from Alzheimer’s disease, developmental disabilities or similar conditions.

“This legislation has a deep personal meaning for me, as I was a caregiver for my grandmother during her battle with Alzheimer’s disease,” said Sen. Tillis in a Dec. 22 statement.

“We should be moving heaven and earth to help families and caregivers reunite with loved ones who wander and disappear, and Kevin and Avonte’s Law can truly make a difference in preventing tragedies and give families across America a greater peace of mind,” Tillis said.

Kevin and Avonte’s Law, S. 2070, is named for two boys with autism who drowned in separate incidences after wandering away from safety.

Introduced on Nov. 2 by Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA), the bill would reauthorize the Missing Alzheimer’s Disease Patient Alert Program and promote initiatives designed to reduce injuries and death related to the wandering characteristics that some children with autism present, according to the text of the bill.

“The feeling of dread and helplessness families must experience when a loved one with Alzheimer’s or autism goes missing is unimaginable,” said Sen. Grassley last week. “But when communities are empowered to lend a hand, these terrifying situations can have happy endings.”

S. 2070 also would establish standards and best practices for parents or guardians who might choose to use non-invasive and non-permanent tracking technology, according to the proposed bill’s text.

“Sadly, there have been tragic cases of special needs children and adults wandering away from their caregivers,” said Sen. Richard Burr, Tillis’ Republican colleague from North Carolina who cosponsored S. 2070.

“Kevin and Avonte’s Law can make a significant difference for families faced with frightening scenarios where their loved ones stray from their homes,” Burr said, and it “will give law enforcement the tools they need to help families reunite and help prevent new tragedies from occurring.”
U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) joined Tillis in introducing the bill.

The bill has garnered support from organizations such as the Autism Society of Iowa, Autism Speaks, the National Autism Association, and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, among many others.