CINCINNATI — Nearly one year after a 6-year-old boy drowned in a West Chester pond, the Ohio House of Representatives passed legislation to prevent similar tragedies.
House Bill 359, also known as the "Joshua Alert" bill, is named in memory of Joshua Al-Lateef Jr.
The legislation aims to create a statewide emergency alert system, the Joshua Alert, which would send emergency notices out to the community when children with autism and other developmental disabilities go missing. A similar system already exists in Kentucky, known as the Ian Alert.
If passed, once a child with a diagnosed developmental disability is verified as missing, law enforcement could immediately issue an alert through broadcast, digital and community channels.
WATCH: Here's how the Joshua Alert would work and how it came to be
"Seconds count when you have a child with autism or a child with a disability that can navigate themselves back and forth; time is of the essence," said bill sponsor Rep. Cecil Thomas, D-Cincinnati.
HB 359 was also sponsored by Rep. Jennifer Gross, R-West Chester.
“This legislation ensures that when a child with autism or a developmental disability goes missing, every second counts. By mobilizing law enforcement, first responders, and our communities faster, we can save lives and spare other families the heartbreak Joshua’s family endured," Rep. Gross said in a release. "I’m deeply grateful to my colleagues for standing with us to protect Ohio’s most vulnerable children.”
The bill was unanimously passed in the House of Representatives on Wednesday. It is now headed to the Ohio Senate.
"I knew that every member of the legislature either knew somebody or had a relative or someone that they could identify with (on) this particular piece of legislation," Thomas said. "I'm just proud that the legislature did what they did unanimously."
Al-Lateef Jr.'s mother, Jonisa Cook, has been advocating for the legislation since her son's death. When she spoke with us back in June, Cook said, "It keeps pushing me to go out here and find ways to help other families, so that's what I'm going to continue to do."
Cook also established the Joshua Al-Lateef Jr. Foundation, which works to help connect families with supportive services for children with autism.
"(Cook) grieved, but then she turned her grief into action," Thomas said. "She's been a gift from heaven to the legislature."
