Bill Text: PA HB494 | 2013-2014 | Regular Session | Introduced

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft

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Bill Title: Providing for the offense of failure of duty to report disappearance of a child.

Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill

Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2013-10-22 - Referred to JUDICIARY [HB494 Detail]

Download: Pennsylvania-2013-HB494-Introduced.html

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PRINTER'S NO. 516

 

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

 

HOUSE BILL

No.

494

Session of 2013

 

 

 

INTRODUCED BY BOBACK, SAYLOR, MUNDY, BISHOP, METCALFE, SWANGER, HAGGERTY, GINGRICH, V. BROWN, HENNESSEY, STEPHENS, MAJOR, KORTZ, O'BRIEN, KAUFFMAN, TALLMAN, PICKETT, DONATUCCI, YOUNGBLOOD, READSHAW, COHEN, M. K. KELLER, C. HARRIS, DAVIDSON, WATSON, MICOZZIE, GIBBONS, HAHN, DENLINGER, MATZIE, GILLEN AND PEIFER, FEBRUARY 4, 2013

 

 

REFERRED TO COMMITEE ON JUDICIARY, FEBRUARY 4, 2013

 

 

 

AN ACT

 

Amending Title 18 (Crimes and Offenses) of the Pennsylvania
Consolidated Statutes, providing for the offense of failure 
of duty to report disappearance of a child.

The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:

Section 1. Title 18 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated
Statutes is amended by adding a section to read:

§ 4304.1. Duty to report disappearance of child.

(a) Offense defined.--A parent of a child under 14 years of
age commits an offense if the parent, with reckless disregard
for the risk of harm to the child or for the health, safety or
welfare of the child, fails to report the disappearance of the
child to a law enforcement agency.

(b) Grading.--An offense under subsection (a) constitutes a
felony of the third degree.

(c) Definitions.--As used in this section, the following

words and phrases shall have the meanings given to them in this
subsection unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:

"Disappearance." Any instance in which the whereabouts of
the child are unknown to the parent and have been unknown for
more than 24 hours.

"Parent." A natural parent, stepparent, adoptive parent,
guardian or custodian of a child.

Section 2. This act shall take effect in 60 days.