An Act To Increase to a Class C Crime the Failure To Report a Missing Child within 24 Hours
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 17-A MRSA §558 is enacted to read:
§ 558. Failure to report a missing child
1. A person is guilty of failure to report a missing child if that person, being the parent, foster parent, guardian or other person having care or custody of a child, knowingly fails to notify a law enforcement agency of the child's disappearance within 24 hours of becoming aware that the child is missing when that person:
A. Knows that the child is missing; and
B. Knows or reasonably should know that the child is potentially in danger.
2. Failure to report a missing child is a Class C crime.
summary
This bill, modeled after "Caylee's Law," introduced in the State of Florida, makes failing to report a missing child within 24 hours of becoming aware that the child is missing a Class C crime.