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STAMFORD, Conn. Just under a year after Casey Anthony was acquitted of the death of her toddler, Caylee, the Connecticut House of Representatives has passed a bill that would make it illegal not to report a missing child. Caylee was not reported missing for over 30 days.
It is unfortunate that we sometimes end up enacting these types of laws because of a tragedy, the bill's sponsor, Rep. Gerald Fox III, said in a press release. The Stamford Democrat is chair of the legislature's Judiciary Committee.
The bill, which is being referred to as Caylees Law, passed the House unanimously on Saturday. It would make it a Class A misdemeanor if any parent, guardian, or person with supervision of a child under 12 knowingly does not report the child missing for 24 hours, the release said. The crime would be punishable by up to one year in jail and a fine of $2,000, the release said.
Currently it is a misdemeanor to leave a child 12 or under in a car or public place unsupervised. The bill would make it a felony if the place serves alcohol or the incident occurs between 8 p.m. and 6 a.m., the release said.
When it comes to the safety of a child, adults have to be held accountable, and the state is responsible for doing that, Fox said in the release.
The bill now goes to the state Senate.
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