Amendment #908 to H4400

Massachusetts policy and procedures for missing and abducted children

Representatives Matias of Lawrence and Jones of North Reading move to amend the bill by adding the following sections:

“SECTION 1. Chapter 22A of the General Laws is hereby amended by adding the following section:-

Section 10. The executive office of public safety and security shall develop a guide entitled the Massachusetts policy and procedure for missing and abducted children investigations that shall establish comprehensive minimum standards for law enforcement agencies  in the Commonwealth. Such agencies shall reference the guide and implement the policy and procedure in agency practices and the training of law enforcement officers.

The executive office shall reference, but shall not be limited to, the law-enforcement policy and procedures for reports of missing and abducted children, developed by The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. The executive office shall ensure that policies promulgated are comprehensive and inclusive to different categories of missing children, including, but not limited to, children under 10 years of age, children under 17 years of age, children with mental and physical limitations, and dependent adults with mental and physical limitations.

The municipal police training committee shall include in their 2019 training year, a mandatory 2-hour in-service training program for veteran police officers on the Massachusetts policy and procedure for missing and abducted children investigations. The municipal police training committee shall include training on the Massachusetts policy and procedure for missing and abducted children investigations for new police officers attending the police academy.

The executive office of public safety and security shall ensure internal policies and the missing child clearinghouse intake form to reflect the Massachusetts policy and procedure for missing and abducted children investigations. The missing child clearinghouse intake form shall be available in, but not limited to, the following languages; English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, Chinese, Haitian Creole, Vietnamese, Russian, German, Albanian, Khmer or Cambodian.

SECTION 2. Section 1 shall take effect on January 15, 2018.

SECTION 3. By January 15, 2019, all law enforcement agencies in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts shall adopt the Massachusetts policy and procedures for missing and abducted children investigations as the minimum protocol in investigations of missing children.".

Additional co-sponsor(s) added to Amendment #908 to H4400

Massachusetts policy and procedures for missing and abducted children