DOVER, Del. (AP)- House lawmakers have approved a bill making it a crime to fail to report a missing child if the child winds up neglected as a result of that failure.
The reporting requirement unanimously approved Tuesday would apply to parents, guardians or other caretakers who don't report that a child is missing. Failure to report would constitute felony child endangerment.
The bill is similar to so-called "Caylee's Law" bills introduced in several states in response to the case of Caylee Anthony, a 2-year-old Florida girl whose 2008 disappearance was not reported for a month.
House lawmakers in Maine last week overwhelmingly rejected a similar bill. Opponents noted that while the bill may be "feel-good" legislation, the requirement to report a missing child could violate constitutional protections against self-incrimination.
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