WASHINGTON (WAVY) — Rep. Scott Taylor (R-Va.) and a group of representatives are working to pass the “Ashanti Alert Act” in Congress.
Taylor — along with three other representatives — announced the introduction of the bill on Friday. The Ashanti Alert was first proposed by Virginia House Del. Jerrauld “Jay” Jones back in November.
It’s designed establish a system to alert the public about kidnapped adults.
In Virginia, the bill would cost $50,000 to allow the Virginia State Police to update their computer systems to support the program.
The bill is named after 19-year-old Ashanti Billie, who was abducted from Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story last fall. She was later found dead in Charlotte, North Carolina.
“Giving law enforcement the similar ability of an Amber alert, but for missing adults will rapidly bring government and public resources to bear,” Scott said in a statement.
Stay with WAVY.com for the latest developments.