JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) -- Changes to Missouri's Amber Alert system are progressing in the Missouri House.
The House gave initial approval Wednesday to changes made in response to the kidnapping and death of 10-year-old girl last year in Springfield.
Springfield police responded within minutes to a call about fourth-grader Hailey Owens being abducted but a statewide Amber Alert was not sent for another two hours. The girl was found dead hours later in the basement of a Springfield man's home.
The bill would integrate the Amber Alert system with the electronic law enforcement system, ending the need for local police to fill out paper forms before an Amber Alert is issued.