The Ashanti Alert Act -- named for Maryland native Ashanti Billie, who was kidnapped and murdered in the fall of 2017 -- was sponsored by Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va.
Billie was 19 when she disappeared from the Hampton Roads, Virginia, area in September 2017, WTOP reported. She was too old to qualify for an Amber Alert, the nation's child abduction alert system, and too young to be considered for a Silver Alert, a system used to locate senior citizens, the radio station reported.
Billie's body was found in North Carolina two weeks after she disappeared, WTTG reported.
The Ashanti Alert system will empower police to notify radio and television stations, and activate road and highway electronic sign boards for missing adults between the ages of 18 and 64, the television station reported.
“Despite the tragic loss of Ashanti Billie, with the love and support of Meltony and Brandy Billie (her parents), along with the Hampton Roads community, the Ashanti Alert Act is now law of the land,” Warner said in a statement. “In this new year, it is my hope that this important law enforcement tool can help save countless lives.”
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