Western Journal Article on 1/7/19
In one of his final acts of 2018, President Donald Trump signed a bill that could have far-reaching consequences for the loved ones of people who have gone missing.
Trump signed the Ashanti Alert Act, named for Ashanti Billie, 19, of Virginia Beach, Virginia. She went missing last year in Norfolk and was later found dead in North Carolina, according to American Military News.
After her disappearance, family members said they thought some form of alert could have saved her. However, at age 19, Billie was too old to be covered by the Amber Alert system.
“The Ashanti Alert will fix that void. Unfortunately, it’s too late to help our daughter, but we know that the Ashanti Alert, she will continue to help others. Her legacy will live on,” Brandy Billie said in September. “Her life wasn’t in vain, it was for a purpose.”
That’s why the Ashanti Alert Act was introduced by Republican Congressman Scott Taylor of Virginia last year. Its goal is to locate a missing adult between the ages of 18 and 65.
