In May 2023, the 88th Texas Legislature passed a bill that allows local police to quickly issue a regional alert about a missing child, without having to wait for investigators to confirm an abduction has taken place.
The new alert has been informally known as an "Athena Alert." It was designed to fill the gap between when a child disappears and how long it may take investigators to confirm an actual kidnapping -- which is the current threshold for officials to issue an AMBER Alert.
The Texas DPS said on July 6 that the new law allows local police to request an alert as soon as they know a child is missing, but clarified the alerts will still be sent under the AMBER Alert name.
"It is important for Texans to understand that the legislation did not create a new alert, and all alert messaging will continue to be referenced as an AMBER Alert," the DPS said.
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With an Athena Alert, police can use the existing AMBER Alert system to quickly distribute a localized alert to people within 100 miles of the reported disappearance, and to adjacent counties, notifying them a child is missing.
The law is named after Athena Strand, a 7-year-old North Texas girl who vanished from her father's Paradise home in November 2022 and was found dead two days later. A package delivery driver confessed to accidentally hitting Athena with his vehicle and then strangling her when she said she was going to tell her father about the incident.
An AMBER Alert was eventually issued in Athena's case, but not until about 24 hours after she disappeared and not until after investigators later learned she'd been killed. The AMBER Alert system was named after 9-year-old Amber Hagerman, who was kidnapped near her Arlington home in January 1996 and later found brutally murdered. Amber's killer has never been found.
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The "Athena Alert," aka House Bill 3556, was authored by state Rep. Lynn Stucky (R-Sanger). It was passed by the Texas House of Representatives on May 9 and sent to the Texas Senate where it was sponsored by state Sen. Tan Parker (R-Flower Mound). The Senate passed the bill on May 24 and it was signed into law by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) on June 14.
“I am so grateful to Texas lawmakers for fast-tracking the 'Athena Alert' and for everyone who has supported this legislation,” said Athena’s mother, Maitlyn Gandy. “It means so much to know that my daughter’s life will have a lasting impact.”
TEXAS STATEWIDE ALERT PROGRAMS
There are eight kinds of alerts that can be issued for missing or endangered people in Texas. They are listed below with links to a page with more information.
