MADISON — The Assembly passed the 'Prince' Act,' on Thursday, Feb. 22, following its approval by the Senate on Tuesday.
The bill serves to loosen requirements for missing child notifications. It was named in memory of 5-year-old Prince McCree, who lost his life after going missing back in 2023. The act expands the missing adult at-risk criteria to include missing children.
“The Prince Act addresses these critical gaps in our current alert system, ensuring that any missing child under 10 receives the attention and urgency their situation demands," State Assembly and Senate, Senator Johnson said. "Prince was not the first child who fell through the cracks of our system."
Johnson mentioned Lily Peters, a little girl who went missing in 2022, who also failed to meet the criteria of an Amber Alert before she was tragically found dead.
“By utilizing the Wireless Emergency Alert system, the same system used for Amber and Silver Alerts, we can now mobilize communities immediately and effectively to aid in the search and safe recovery of our missing children," Senator Johnson added.
The bill now goes to Governor Tony Evers, who will have to sign the bill into law.
