Indiana lawmakers consider changes to alert system after death of Hailey Buzbee

By GARRETT BERGQUIST
WISH-TV | wishtv.com

Indiana state lawmakers on Tuesday said they’re already looking into possible changes to state law following the death of Fishers teen Hailey Buzbee.

A Change.org petition begun Sunday calls for state lawmakers to approve changes which organizers are calling Hailey’s Law. Petition organizers are calling for the creation of a so-called Pink Alert, which would send out a statewide alert for dangerous or unusual disappearances that meet certain criteria but don’t fit the requirements for an AMBER Alert or a Silver Alert.

They are also demanding mandatory online grooming awareness training in all schools, updating classic “stranger danger” teachings to fit modern online culture. The petition already had nearly 80,000 signatures as of Tuesday afternoon.

Fishers is represented in the Indiana House of Representatives by Rep. Chris Jeter and House Speaker Todd Huston, both Republicans, and by Rep. Victoria Garcia Wilburn, a Democrat. All three have endorsed changes to state law to varying degrees. Jeter told News 8 he wonders if it’s time for lawmakers to revisit the requirements for an AMBER Alert. He said he would prefer to expand the requirements for AMBER Alerts rather than create a new, potentially confusing alert category.

Buzbee left her home a little after 10 p.m. on Jan. 6 to meet with someone she had met and communicated with online and thus was classified as a runaway. Jeter, who is a criminal defense attorney, said runaways are treated under state law and by law enforcement as someone who has left home voluntarily. This precludes any use of AMBER Alerts. He said Buzbee’s case suggests law enforcement needs more flexibility in when to send out an alert.

“The effort with an AMBER Alert is to make sure that it applies to a specific type of victim,” Jeter said. “We know now in our current culture of online grooming and things that may happen with our kids, a case may present itself originally as a runaway and there may be a lot more to the story, as we’re learning in this case.”

Jeter said the Buzbee case suggests the state needs to revise how children are taught about stranger danger given the explosion of online culture. He said any potential grooming prevention training for children would likely have to wait until next session as a standalone bill. As for new or revised alerts, he said lawmakers are looking into whether they can add new language to existing bills this session, either in committee or on the chamber floors, though he can’t guarantee this will happen.

Garcia Wilburn told News 8 she also is open to revising the alert rules.

“I think that local law enforcement entities should have every tool at their discretion in order to help in situations that they see and deem fit. I am extremely proud of the way our Fishers Police Department and Chief Ed Gebhart handled this situation,” she said. “If there’s a tool that’s missing, we need to empower our locals with that tool.”

When asked about the education proposal, Garcia Wilburn said any changes need to balance parents’ rights and that the discussion right now should center on Buzbee’s legacy.

Huston has also indicated support for changes following Buzbee’s death. As the Speaker, Huston has control over committee assignments and floor calendars. Explicit support from him would likely supercharge any legislative effort.

“This is a devastating tragedy for our community and my heart goes out to Hailey’s parents, family and loved ones,” Speaker Houston said. “We will work with urgency to look at ways we can strengthen Indiana’s laws to protect young Hoosiers and prevent tragedies like this from occurring, including making sure a situation like this triggers an alert.”

Fishers’ state senator, Kyle Walker, said he, too, is looking into potential changes to state law.

“I am deeply saddened by the tragic and heartbreaking loss of Hailey Buzbee,” Walker said. “During this unimaginable time, my condolences are with her family, friends and the Fishers community. In light of this tragedy, I am committed to working with my colleagues in the Senate and House to identify ways we can strengthen Indiana’s laws to better protect young Hoosiers and prevent tragedies like this from happening again.”

In a Tuesday morning post on X, Gov. Mike Braun said he has asked the Indiana State Police to look for gaps in the state’s existing alert system.

“My prayers are with the family and loved ones of Hailey Buzbee during this heartbreaking time. No family should ever endure a loss like this,” Braun said. “This tragedy raises serious questions about how we better protect our kids in the digital age. Stronger tools for parents, including limits on social media and a more responsive alert system, are important. I am working with the Indiana State Police to identify solutions to gaps in our alert system. I urge our legislature to take action to prevent further tragedies and I call on Big Tech to stop selling their product to children.”

The legislative session is already past its halfway point, so many key legislative deadlines have already passed. The session is scheduled to wrap up at the end of the month, after which lawmakers won’t reconvene until January 2027.

This story was originally published by WISH-TV at wishtv.com/news/politics/haileys-law-indianapolis-changes.