Amendment ID: S2598-1-R1

Redraft Amendment 1

Massachusetts policy and procedures for missing and abducted children

Ms. Gobi and Mr. Tarr move to amend the bill by inserting after section 4 the following section:-

SECTION 4A. 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, the policy and procedure for missing and abducted children investigations, that shall establish comprehensive minimum standards for law enforcement agencies in the commonwealth. The agencies shall reference the guide and implement the policy and procedure in agency practices and the training of law enforcement officers.

In developing the policy and procedure for missing and abducted children investigations, the executive office of public safety and security 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 the policy and procedure for missing and abducted children investigations is comprehensive and inclusive of different categories of missing children including, but not limited to: (i) children under 10 years of age; (ii) children under 17 years of age; (iii) children with mental and physical limitations; and (iv) dependent adults with mental and physical limitations.

The municipal police training committee shall include training on the 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 policy and procedure for missing and abducted children investigations. The missing child clearinghouse intake form shall be available in languages including, but not limited to: English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, Chinese, Haitian Creole, Vietnamese, Russian, German, Albanian, and Khmer or Cambodian.”; and by inserting after section 13 the following 2 sections:-

“SECTION 13A. The municipal police training committee shall include in its 2019 training year, a mandatory 2-hour in-service training program for veteran police officers on the policy and procedure for missing and abducted children investigations developed pursuant to section 10 of chapter 22A of the General Laws.

SECTION 13B. Not later than January 15, 2019, all law enforcement agencies in the commonwealth shall adopt the policy and procedures for missing and abducted children investigations as the minimum protocol in investigations of missing children.