Committee hears ‘Rowan Act’ to let state police trigger AMBER Alerts in custody and special‑needs cases

The Michigan House Families and Veterans Committee heard testimony on HB 4517 and HB 4518 — legislation supporters call the Rowan Act — which would let the Michigan State Police activate AMBER Alerts when officers determine a child is in imminent danger, including in parental‑custody disputes and cases involving children with special needs.

Representative Regas, speaking for the sponsors, said the change would give law enforcement “the flexibility needed to respond swiftly and potentially life‑threatening situations putting safety above all else.” He described a case in which a six‑year‑old named Rowan went missing after a failed custodial exchange; the sponsor said no AMBER Alert was issued under the state’s current statutory criteria and Rowan’s body was discovered after his biological father killed him and himself.

Family members who testified described the human toll they attribute to the current statutory limits. Brandy Morey Poles, Rowan’s mother, told the committee that during the 52 hours her son was missing she repeatedly tried to alert authorities and was told an AMBER Alert was unlikely because the case arose from a custody exchange. “No child or anybody with a disability or a runaway should be denied an AMBER Alert,” she said. “They should get the same attention as someone taken off the street for trafficking. He mattered.”

Victoria Jones testified about her toddler son, Jermaine, who died after wandering and being found in the Looking Glass River on Oct. 10, 2023; she said responders and community members saw the child but there was no statewide alert because statutory criteria were not met. “My son would still be here. He, a 100%, would still be here if that alert had been able to go out,” Jones said.

The bill package would explicitly allow Michigan State Police to use social media and digital platforms and would broaden the situations in which alerts can be issued to include custodial disputes and missing children with disabilities. Sponsors told the committee they will offer an amendment to refine the bill’s language about disability and to refer back to Michigan’s statutory definition of disability where appropriate.

Representative Johnson asked whether law enforcement already had discretion in practice and whether family‑court processes could limit police action; sponsors answered that the bills would let state police open investigations immediately rather than waiting for a court order and said quicker response time could be lifesaving.

Supporters urged the committee to advance the bills; witnesses included family members who lost children and advocates who said current AMBER Alert rules can exclude high‑risk custodial cases and children with special needs. Kimberly McCurry, who helped draft related proposals and testified about earlier legislative efforts, suggested naming the measure the Rowan‑Germaine Act to memorialize both children discussed in testimony and to ensure attention to special‑needs language.

Discussion versus decision: committee members heard testimony and public comment and asked procedural questions; no committee vote on HB 4517 or HB 4518 was recorded in the hearing.

Background and context: sponsors said the current AMBER Alert activation criteria exclude some custodial disputes, runaway definitions and certain special‑needs situations; they argued that expanding authority for the Michigan State Police to issue alerts when a child is believed to be in danger would close those gaps. Supporters also said the statutory language enabling modern dissemination (social media and digital platforms) should be explicit.

What’s next: the bills remain in committee. Sponsors said they plan an amendment to clarify how the statute treats children with disabilities and to align the definitions with existing statutory language.