AUSTIN, Texas — In Austin on Tuesday, the family of Audrii Cunningham strongly urged Texas lawmakers to support a bill that would strengthen sex offender registration laws.
The House Committee on Criminal Jurisprudence heard their testimony on HB 2000, also known as Audrii’s Law.
Audrii Cunningham was just 11 years old when she was kidnapped and murdered by Don Steven McDougal in February 2024.
RELATED: She was only 11: The murder of Audrii Cunningham | How to watch on KHOU 11+
In the months before Audrii’s death, her family allowed McDougal to live in a camper on their property. Audrii’s grandparents, Tabitha and Phillip Munsch, said they wanted to help McDougal knowing that he had a troubled past, but were not aware of his history as a child predator.
Munsch has said she even checked the sex offender registry for McDougal and never found his name.
In 2007, McDougal pleaded guilty to a lesser charge when he was convicted of a child sex crime. Part of that plea deal allowed him to not register as a sex offender.
RELATED: Here’s what we know about Don Steven McDougal in missing Audrii Cunningham case
“This bill will protect so many children because a lot of us check these registries and never know that these monsters are walking free,” Tabitha Munsch said.
Through tears, Munsch pleaded with lawmakers to support Audrii’s Law. The law would add child grooming to the list of crimes that require registration as a sex offender, closing a so-called “loophole” that allows some offenders to avoid the registry altogether.
“I’m here to represent Audrii, who can’t represent herself,” Tabitha Munsch said. “I’m not only asking, I’m begging that we close this loophole, and make sure that my granddaughter’s death is not in vain.”
The bill is currently pending. On Tuesday morning, committee chair Rep. John T. Smithee said he wanted to give committee members who were absent the chance to vote.
In Austin, Audrii’s family was joined by Rep. Trent Ashby, who sponsored the bill, and criminal justice advocates from Houston.
“Get it to the (House) floor. Get it out the Senate. Get it to the governor’s desk. In memory of Audrii Cunningham, I, like most people here, am sick of naming bills after dead kids,” Crime Stoppers of Houston’s Andy Kahan said.
Lawmakers who were present at the committee hearing were also motivated to get the law passed.
“I know I’m voting for the bill. I can’t imagine why anyone would vote against the bill,” Rep. Jolanda Jones said.
Audrii’s family vowed to take their fight for justice nationwide in an effort to protect other children from suffering the way Audrii did.
“We are going to continue to work if this is a problem in other states. We’re dedicating the rest of our lives to help other children,” Phillip Munsch said.
If the bill is passed out of committee, it will have to pass a House vote and a Senate vote before landing on Gov. Greg Abbott’s desk where he could sign it into law.