FRUITLAND, Idaho — Gov. Brad Little hosted a ceremonial bill signing for the Endangered and Missing Person Alert (EMPA) bill Wednesday.
This morning we commemorated the passing of “Monkey’s Law” in Fruitland— the state's first endangered missing persons alert bill. Five-year-old Michael “Monkey” Vaughan went missing last summer, but his disappearance did not meet the national qualifications for an Amber Alert. pic.twitter.com/FZzcW5BA3I
— Brad Little (@GovernorLittle) April 27, 2022
The legislation was prompted by the disappearance of missing 5-year-old Fruitland boy, Michael "Monkey" Vaughan. He went missing in July 2021, but no Amber Alert was issued because his situation did not meet all of the criteria.
EMPA is designed to locate and endangered or missing person regardless of their age. It will create a unified approach by Idaho Law enforcement on how to handle these types of cases, and set alert standards and criteria.
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In a tweet Wednesday, Little said, "Thanks to this legislation, the alerts for missing or endangered individuals can reach our communities sooner and save more families from heartbreak."
