LANSING, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – Legislation inspired by the death of six- year-old Rowan Milford Morey is headed to Governor Gretchen Whitmer to sign after winning final approval from the Michigan Legislature.

House Bills 4517 and 4518, sponsored by State Reps. Angela Rigas and Jerry Neyer, expand Michigan’s child alert system by allowing public alerts for missing children – not just children who have been abducted – and authorizes the use of social media to distribute information about missing or abducted children.

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Rigas said the legislation, known as the Rowan Act, was named in memory of Rowan Milford Morey, who was killed during a failed custody exchange in Isabella County in August 2024.

“Rowan’s mother repeatedly asked law enforcement for help, but an Amber Alert couldn’t be issued because the situation did not meet the legal definition of an abduction,” Rigas said. “The outcome was horrific, and today, we’re making sure that does not happen again.”

Neyer said in a statement, “Rowan Morey’s passing is something our community will always carry with us, and it comes with a duty to reflect and act.”

Broader Amber Alert authority.

The bills also require the Michigan State Police to issue an Amber Alert for missing children with special needs or for any missing child determined to be in danger after a preliminary investigation.

“When a child goes missing, every single minute matters,” Rigas said. “A child’s life should never be put at risk because a situation does not fit a narrow legal definition.”