STAND. COM. REP. NO.  321-14

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2014

 

RE:   H.B. No. 2505

 

 

 

 

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2014

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Human Services, to which was referred H.B. No. 2505 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO FAILURE TO REPORT A MISSING CHILD,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to help protect children from danger and wrongdoing by placing an affirmative duty on parents, legal guardians, and other caregivers to verify the safety and whereabouts of a child who has been missing for over 48 hours and to provide accurate information to law enforcement authorities regarding a missing or deceased child in a timely manner.

 

This measure makes it a class C felony if a parent, legal guardian, or other person legally charged with the care and custody of a child:

 

(1)  Fails to report a missing child to a law enforcement agency after the child has been missing for a 48-hour period;

 

(2)  Fails to report the death of a child under their custody to a law enforcement agency within two hours of discovering the child's death; or

 

(3)  Knowingly provides false information to law enforcement officials involved in a missing person investigation or a felony criminal investigation involving a child that was in their care.

 

     No testimony was received on this measure.

 

     Your Committee respectfully notes that although no testimony was received on this measure, your Committee finds the subject matter to be meritorious and wishes to ensure that it moves through the legislative process for further discussion.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Human Services that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2505 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Judiciary.

 

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Human Services,

 

 

 

 

____________________________

MELE CARROLL, Chair