Sen. Kissel: CT Version of “Caylee’s Law” Passes Legislature

May 10, 2012
State Sen. John A. Kissel speaks on the floor of the Senate on May 9, the final night of the Connecticut General Assembly's 2012 legislative session.  Sen. Kissel was successful in getting a Connecticut version of "Caylee's Law" passed by the state legislature.

State Sen. John A. Kissel speaks on the floor of the Senate on May 9, the final night of the Connecticut General Assembly’s 2012 legislative session. Sen. Kissel was successful in getting a Connecticut version of “Caylee’s Law” passed by the state legislature.

Sen. John A. Kissel today applauded the Senate’s passage of a bill which will establish a penalty for Connecticut parents and guardians who fail to report the disappearance of a child.

Kissel said the legislation, which heads to the governor for his signature, is a response to the 2008 high profile death of Florida toddler Caylee Anthony. The 2-year-old wasn’t reported missing for 31 days.

Under the Connecticut legislation, parents and guardians who wait longer than 24 hours to report any child under the age of 12 missing would be charged with a misdemeanor criminal offense. The misdemeanor would be punishable by up to a year in prison and a maximum fine of $2,000.

“As a dad, I can’t imagine a parent not reporting a missing child,” Sen. Kissel said. “What we saw play out in Florida was heartbreaking, and we felt that if we could strengthen our state law in this area, we should. This measure is a step in the right direction which will help to ensure that no future situations like Caylee’s occur in our state. With this proposal, we are protecting children and holding irresponsible parents and guardians accountable for not promptly reporting disappearances.”

The duty to report applies to any parent, guardian, or person who has custody or is supervising the child and who either does not know the child’s location or has not had contact with him or her for a 24-hour period.

Sen. Kissel (www.senatorkissel.com) serves as Ranking Member of the legislature’s Judiciary Committee and represents East Granby, Enfield, Somers, Suffield, Windsor Locks and portions of Granby and Windsor. He can be reached at [email protected] or at 800 842 1421.