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_________________________________
Councilmember LaRuby May

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A BILL

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IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

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To amend the Sex Trafficking of Children Prevention Act of 2014 to establish reporting
requirements for parents or other persons who have permanent care custody or
responsibility for the supervision of a minor who fails to notify law enforcement while in
their custody, and to require the Mayor to establish certain penalties for a parent or
custodian who fails to report a missing child.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this

act may be cited as the Requirement to Report Missing Children Amendment Act of 2016.
Sec. 2. Section 5 of the Sex Trafficking of Children Prevention Amendment Act of 2014,

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effective May 7, 2015 (D.C. Law 20-276; D.C. Official Code 4-1323.01), is amended by

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adding a new subsection (c-1) to read as follows:

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(c-1)(1) A parent or other person who has permanent care or custody or responsibility

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for the supervision of a minor under the age of 13 shall not recklessly or willfully fail to inform

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law enforcement that the minor is missing within 24 hours of the time they knew or should have

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known the minor was missing while the minor is in their custody.
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(2) A parent of other person who has permanent care or custody or responsibility

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for the supervision of a minor who is at least the age of 13 but under the age of 18 shall not

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recklessly or willfully fail to notify law enforcement that the minor is missing within 48 hours of

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the time they knew or should have known the child was missing while the minor is in their

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custody.

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(3) It shall be a misdemeanor for a parent or other person who has permanent

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care or custody or responsibility for the supervision of a minor to provide false information to

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law enforcement with the intent to mislead the investigation.

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(4) It shall be a misdemeanor for a person who has a mandated reporting

requirement to fail to report a minor missing when:

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(A) That person knows that the child resides in supportive housing or
suffers from a mental or physical handicap;

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(B) The disappearance is of a suspicious or dangerous nature;

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(C) There is reason to believe the child has been abducted; or

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(D) The child was previously a subject of a child abuse report..

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Sec. 3. Rulemaking.

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Pursuant to Title I of the District of Columbia Administrative Procedure Act, approved

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October 21, 1968 (82 Stat. 1204; D.C. Official Code 2-501 et seq.), the Mayor shall issue rules

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to carry out provisions of this act, including rules that specify the penalties for a violation of this

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act.

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Sec. 3. Fiscal impact statement.

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The Council adopts the fiscal impact statement in the committee report as the fiscal

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impact statement required by section 4a of the General Legislative Procedures Act of 1975,

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approved October 16, 2006 (120 Stat. 2038; D.C. Official Code 1-301.47a).

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Sec. 4. Effective date.

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This act shall take effect following approval by the Mayor (or in the event of veto by the

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Mayor, action by the Council to override the veto), a 30-day period of congressional review as

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provided in section 602(c)(1) of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act, approved December

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24, 1973 (87 Stat. 813; D.C. Official Code 1-206.02(c)(1)), and publication in the District of

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Columbia Register.