Texas lawmakers pass bill for new alert system in honor of Athena Strand

AUSTIN, Texas (KSWO) - Lawmakers in Texas have advanced a bill creating a new alert system for certain missing children named in honor of the Stephens County girl whose life was taken late last year.

The “Athena Alert” system has looser criteria than the Amber Alert, which requires confirmation of an abduction.

Once a child is confirmed missing, authorities would activate the alert for a 100-mile radius of when the child was last seen, as well as all adjacent counties.

The bill is named after Athena Strand, who was hit by a delivery driver in late November who is accused of then kidnapping and murdering the seven-year-old.

Shortly after her disappearance, her parents tried to get an Amber Alert issued for Athena, but were unable to because they could not confirm an abduction.

The bill now heads to the Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s desk.