State Reps. Jerry Neyer and Angela Rigas this week championed the passage of the Rowan Act, a plan to modernize the Michigan Amber Alert System. House Bills 4517 and 4518 would modify the Amber Alert activation criteria and distribution processes to further enhance the safety and protection of Michigan children.

“The Rowan Act, HB 4518, is named in memory of six-year-old Rowan Morey, whose life was tragically cut short after a failed custody exchange,” said Rigas, R-Caledonia. “This legislation is about giving law enforcement the discretion they need when a child is missing and in danger – even if the situation doesn’t meet the state’s definition of abduction. It recognizes that danger doesn’t always come with flashing lights or dramatic headlines. Sometimes, it’s a delayed return. Sometimes, it’s a special-needs child who’s vulnerable in ways our current system doesn’t account for.”

Neyer and Rigas introduced the plan after a tragedy rocked their communities. Six-year-old Rowan Milford Morey was killed by his biological father in an apparent murder-suicide in Isabella County, Michigan, on August 21, 2024. Both were found dead from gunshot wounds in a camper. Rowan’s mother, Brandi Morey-Pols, who shared custody, pled with local police to do a welfare check on her son after the father did not return Rowan to her care on schedule. Limitations in state law did not allow for the early activation of emergency response systems, meaning that when police finally did a welfare check, Rowan and his father were already dead.

“This bill package was created to better protect children by strengthening Michigan’s Amber Alert system,” said Neyer, R-Shepherd. “In Rowan’s case, a timely alert could have saved his life. With this reform, we ensure that no other parent has to endure that same devastating silence.”

Rigas’ bill empowers the Michigan State Police to activate the Amber Alert system when they believe a child is in danger. Law enforcement is currently only allowed to use the system to alert the public when a child abduction is suspected. This change gives law enforcement the flexibility needed to respond swiftly in potentially life-threatening situations, putting safety above all else. Neyer’s bill modernizes the Amber Alert notification process by incorporating social media into broadcasts.

###