NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY

Assemblyman Felix Ortiz 51st A.D.

Albany Office Room 826, Legislative Office Building Albany, New York 12248 518-455-3821 District Office 404 55th Street Brooklyn, New York 11220 718-492-6334

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 6, 2011

Contact: Alice McGrath Phone: (518) 455-3821

No Child Should Die Unnoticed and Unreported

Assemblyman Ortiz will be introducing a bill requiring that police be notified upon the death of a child, or their disappearance. (Albany, NY) Assemblyman Felix W. Ortiz (Brooklyn) will be introducing a bill that will require parents, guardians, caretakers, etc. to notify law enforcement in a timely manner upon the death of their child, accidental or otherwise. This bill will also require parents, guardians, caretakers, etc. to notify law enforcement if their child should become missing so that steps can be taken to locate the child before it is too late. Failure to comply with either of these provisions will be considered a felony. Every childs life is a precious and sacred thing. It is unacceptable that failure to report your child missing or deceased is not a felony crime. We cannot allow a childs death or disappearance to go unnoticed by our community, stated Assemblyman Ortiz, In light of the deaths of various adolescents throughout our Country, New York needs to have protections and repercussions in law to protect our children, continued Ortiz. Over the past few years there have been numerous deaths and disappearances of children that have gone unreported: Genesis Sims, Age 7 of Colorado, Caylee Anthony, Age 2 of Florida, and most recently, Camden Pierce Hughes, Age 6 of Texas. None of these childrens deaths were immediately reported to law enforcement. Should a child suffer an untimely death, that child deserves justice. We can ensure that no parent goes unpunished for failing to report the disappearance or death of their child to law enforcement in a timely manner. I believe that this piece of legislation has the potential to protect and save numerous lives and provide consequences for those who fail to act said Ortiz

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