By: Channel 9 Eyewitness News
news@kcautv.com
About 3 months into the search for missing cousins Lyric Cook and Elizabeth Collins, a Cedar Falls woman proposed a new bill aptly named the "Cousins Law" that would hopefully help speed things up when it comes to looking for a missing child.
The core of Cousins' Law is a quick response.
Those supporting the proposal say technology is the key to reaching a community faster when a child goes missing.
Iowa State Senator Jeff Danielson who represents the 10th District is involved in the bill.
"We don't want to infringe on what people know is an Amber Alert. Hopefully we can come up with a rapid response alert for when children go missing when they don't meet the criteria of an Amber Alert," Danielson said.
The rough draft of Cousins' Law shows an emphasis on new media.
A mass text message and voicemail alerts will be sent to nearby neighbors and businesses within the first hour and a half a child is reported missing to police.
"it's easy to want to accomplish everything but realistically that's not how laws change," said Danielson.
But some critics of Cousins' Law say it's too intrusive too fast.
A portion of the bill proposes volunteers search neighborhood homes if a child is not found within 2 hours.
Danielson says every criticism needs to be considered so that a new law honors the memory of Lyric and Elizabeth, "We want swift justice for whoever did this but we also want *positive* change to come from this tragedy."
You can still sign that petition and read more on the proposed bill by going to:
http://www.change.org/petitions/senatorjeff-danielson-pass-proposal-cousin-s-law-created-by-robn-arnold-find-missing-kidnapped-children-faster
