Kevin and Avonte’s Law Approved by U.S. Senate Committee!
April 19, 2016
A post by AngelSense, a GPS & voice monitoring solution designed for children with special needs.
Learn more about how AngelSense’s GPS tracking device can help improve your child’s safety and well-being.
Kevin and Avonte’s Law, which aims to protect children with special needs from the dangers of wandering, could soon be passed as a law. The bill was approved by the U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary on April 14, and will now be voted on in the full Senate. This marks a significant victory for the autism community, and could go a long way to saving thousands of innocent lives in the U.S.
The law aims to protect children and others with special needs who wander, ensuring they return home safely. Should the bill pass, it will see $2 million being allocated to law enforcement agencies to fund free electronic tracking devices for those prone to wandering. In addition, the bill will cover training and other resources needed to adequately address the issue.
The bill was initially proposed in 2014 after Avonte Oquendo, a 14-year old with autism, drowned following his elopement from his New York City school. Sadly, it failed to garner support until similar legislation was proposed commemorating Kevin Willis, a 9-year old with autism, who drowned after jumping into Iowa’s Raccoon River in 2008. The bill is named in honor of these two boys.
Why is this bill so significant?
Should this bill become a law, it will ensure that early responders are equipped with the necessary resources and training to prevent wandering incidents from ending in tragedy. Schools will also receive necessary training and resources to develop emergency protocols for staff and early responders.
Additionally, the law will allocate funds to ensure resources are made available to keep children who wander safe. This includes funding technology GPS tracking programs, like AngelSense, to help track and locate children quickly.
You can monitor the progress of the Kevin and Avonte’s Law of 2016 (S. 2614) bill here.
AngelSense is committed to creating a safer world for special needs children in the hope that we can prevent a repeat of these tragedies. We designed the AngelSense GPS tracking solution to give parents the peace of mind that their child is safe at all times. You deserve peace of mind too. Try AngelSense Today.
[…] week the U.S. Senate unanimously approved Kevin and Avonte’s Law, a bill which aims to protect children with special needs from the dangers of wandering. While this […]