Bill filed to strengthen Kentucky’s Amber Alert system

FRANKFORT, Ky. (ABC36 NEWS NOW) – A new bill filed in the Kentucky Senate aims to strengthen how the state responds when a child is abducted or reported missing and endangered.

State Sen. Brandon Storm, R-London, has introduced Senate Bill 289, known as Wynter’s Law, to update and improve Kentucky’s Amber Alert system.

The legislation is designed to ensure faster and clearer coordination among law enforcement, state agencies and media partners when time is critical.

Under SB 289, the Kentucky State Police would continue to have sole authority to activate the Amber Alert system. The bill also clarifies the standards for when an alert can be issued.

In addition, the proposal would ensure the Amber Alert system can be used in cases involving children in state custody, juvenile justice placements or other vulnerable situations where public awareness could help bring a child home safely.

“Our top priority must always be protecting children,” Storm said in a statement. “When a child goes missing, every second matters. Wynter’s Law strengthens Kentucky’s ability to act quickly, coordinate effectively, and use every available tool to bring children home safely.”

Kentucky’s Amber Alert system currently relies on highway message boards, emergency broadcast alerts, law enforcement communication networks and media partners across the state to notify the public when help is needed in locating a child.

Storm says the bill modernizes Kentucky’s Amber Alert law while preserving existing resources and operating within the state’s current budget.