May 19, 2013
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) -- The Alabama House has passed a bill that makes it a crime to fail to report that a child is missing or that a child has died to law enforcement officials.
The House voted 95-0 Tuesday to pass the bill by Democratic Rep. Juandalynn Givan of Birmingham. The bill now goes to the Senate for debate.
Givan told legislators that her bill was motivated by the case of Caylee Anthony, the young Florida girl whose body was found near her home.
The bill requires that a child be reported missing in "a reasonable time period" but does not define how long that would be.
Republican Rep. Barry Mask of Wetumpka says he supported the bill because there have been similar cases in Alabama.
