Executive Summary
- The Ashanti Alert Act was enacted in 2018 following the death of 19-year-old Ashanti Billie to cover endangered adults aged 18-64.
- The system bridges the gap between AMBER Alerts (minors) and Silver Alerts (seniors/cognitive impairment).
- State adoption of the alert is voluntary, leading to inconsistent implementation and coverage across the U.S.
- Unlike AMBER Alerts, there is currently no centralized national database tracking Ashanti Alert issuances.
The Ashanti Alert Act serves as a specialized federal notification system designed to locate endangered missing adults between the ages of 18 and 64, addressing a critical procedural gap between the AMBER Alert and Silver Alert protocols. Enacted following the 2017 abduction and subsequent murder of 19-year-old Ashanti Billie, the system aims to mobilize public assistance for individuals who historically did not qualify for immediate emergency broadcasting.
Ashanti Billie disappeared in September 2017 while arriving for work at a sandwich shop located on Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story in Virginia Beach. According to investigators, she vanished immediately after clocking in, leaving behind no digital footprint or distress signal. At the time, Billie was too old to qualify for an AMBER Alert, which is reserved for minors, and did not meet the criteria for a Silver Alert, which generally applies to senior citizens or individuals with specific cognitive impairments. Her body was discovered nearly two weeks later in North Carolina, more than 300 miles from where she was last seen.
Following advocacy by her family, the Ashanti Alert Act was signed into federal law in 2018. The legislation authorizes a voluntary network for law enforcement to disseminate information regarding missing adults who are believed to be in immediate danger. When active, the system functions similarly to existing alert networks, utilizing media broadcasts, highway signage, and wireless emergency alerts to distribute descriptions of the missing person and potential suspect vehicles.
However, implementation of the alert remains inconsistent across the United States. Under the federal statute, states possess the authority to establish these systems but are not legally mandated to do so. Consequently, coverage varies significantly by geography; while Virginia has fully integrated the Ashanti Alert into its emergency response infrastructure, other jurisdictions utilize generic "endangered missing advisories" or lack a specific mechanism for this demographic entirely. Furthermore, reports indicate there is currently no centralized national database tracking the issuance or outcomes of these specific alerts.
Legislative & Public Safety Impact
The operational fragmentation of the Ashanti Alert system highlights the challenges of federal frameworks that rely on voluntary state adoption. While the alerts provide a vital tool for law enforcement to bypass bureaucratic delays in missing adult cases—where waiting periods were historically common—the lack of a unified national standard limits its effectiveness for victims crossing state lines. For public safety officials, the priority remains increasing public familiarity with the alert’s specific criteria to ensure community engagement mirrors the responsiveness seen with AMBER Alerts. Regarding the specific case that sparked the legislation, a co-worker was charged in connection with Billie’s death; it is important to note that all individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
