HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2001        FILED ON: 1/17/2013

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 1265

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_________________

PRESENTED BY:

Cheryl A. Coakley-Rivera

_________________

To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:

The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:

An act establishing a penalty for failure to report a missing child.

_______________

PETITION OF:

HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2001        FILED ON: 1/17/2013

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 1265

[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE HOUSE, NO. 3978 OF 2011-2012.]

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_______________

In the Year Two Thousand Thirteen

_______________

An act establishing a penalty for failure to report a missing child.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
 

Section 7 of chapter 22A of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2010 Official Edition, is hereby amended by adding the following paragraph:-

Any parent, legal guardian or caretaker of a child 12 years of age or younger who is missing shall be required to report the child missing to the appropriate law enforcement authorities within 8 hours, and shall provide said authorities with identifying data related to said missing child.  Whoever violates any provision of this paragraph shall be punished by a fine of not more than $1,000 or by imprisonment in a state prison for not more than 3 years or imprisonment in a jail or house of correction for not more than 2 ½ years, or by such fine and imprisonment.