HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1811 FILED ON: 1/15/2015
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 1507
|
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
_________________
PRESENTED BY:
James M. Murphy
_________________
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 regarding the protection of children.
_______________
PETITION OF:
Name: | District/Address: | Date Added: |
James M. Murphy | 4th Norfolk | 1/15/2015 |
HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1811 FILED ON: 1/15/2015
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 1507
By Mr. Murphy of Weymouth, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 1507) of James M. Murphy relative to the penalty for failure to report certain injuries to or abuse of children. The Judiciary. |
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
_______________
In the One Hundred and Eighty-Ninth General Court
(2015-2016)
_______________
An Act regarding the protection of children.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
SECTION 1. Chapter 265 Section 13M of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2012 Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting the following section:
Section 13N. (a) Any parent, legal guardian or caretaker who: (i) has knowledge of child abuse or neglect or an accident that resulted in serious bodily injury to or death of that parent’s child, a child under the guardianship of that legal guardian or a child under the care of that caretaker, respectively, and (ii) fails to report such abuse or neglect to the state police or local police or, in the case of an accident resulting in serious bodily injury, to arrange for medical care by a licensed medical professional within 12 hours of such knowledge shall be punished by a fine of up to $7,500 or imprisonment in the state prison for not more than 5 years or by both such fine and imprisonment.
(b) Any parent, legal guardian or caretaker who: (i) has knowledge that that parent’s child, a child under the guardianship of that legal guardian or a child under the care of that caretaker, respectively, has been missing for more than 24 hours and the child is under the age of 13, and (ii) fails to make a report immediately to the state police or local police shall be punished by a fine of up to $7500 or imprisonment in the state prison for not more than 5 years or by both such fine and imprisonment.
(c) Any parent, legal guardian or caretaker who: (i) has knowledge that that parent’s child, a child under the guardianship of that legal guardian or a child under the care of that caretaker, respectively, has been missing for more than 24 hours and where the child is under the age of 13 and (ii) fails to make a report immediately to the state police or local police, and the child is found deceased shall be punished by a fine of up to $7,500 or imprisonment in the state prison for not more than 10 years or by both such fine and imprisonment.