HB 4 Summary

• Creates the crime of "failure to report a missing child," a Class B felony, for custodians who intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly fail to report a child 12 years or younger as missing within a reasonable time and the child suffers death, great bodily harm, permanent disability, or disfigurement.

• Establishes the crime of "failure to report the death of a child," a Class C felony, for custodians who intentionally fail to report a child's death to law enforcement within four hours, with exceptions when death is known to or occurs in presence of law enforcement, health care providers, or is reported to appropriate officials like a coroner.

• Creates "false reporting to law enforcement authorities in the first degree," a Class C felony, for persons who knowingly give false information to law enforcement conducting missing person or felony investigations involving children 12 years or younger.

• Amends Section 13A-10-9 to designate existing false reporting offenses as "false reporting to law enforcement authorities in the second degree," a Class A misdemeanor.

• Becomes effective on the first day of the third month following passage and approval by the Governor.