Proposal Underway To Mandate Reporting Missing Children Within 24 Hours

LANSING (WWJ) - Following last week's verdict in the Casey Anthony case, a campaign is underway in Congress to enact a federal law making it a felony for a parent NOT to report a missing child.

Although many would think it's common sense to report a missing child within 24 hours, and not wait days, weeks or months to report that child missing, a proposal is underway to make that timely reporting law.

Here in Michigan, if your child goes missing, you don't have to report it right away.  As WWJ Lansing Bureau Chief Tim Skubick reports, there is a move underway to change that.

"Most laws are passed to address those isolated incidents, not those people who comply with the law 99 percent of the time. But you need to have something that law enforcement can use as a tool to get us into conducting an investigation ... who knows we may have been able to save Caylee (Anthony)," said Terry Jungel, Executive Director, Michigan Sheriffs' Association.

The Michigan Sheriffs' Association has proposed legislation which mandates that a parent report a missing child within 24 hours.

"Do we need this law, you know you wouldn't think so, but most laws aren't necessary because 85 percent of the people comply with the law all the time. Laws are made and passed to address the exceptions, and this is clearly one of those exceptions," said Jungel.

The so-called Caylee's Law would mandate the reporting of a missing child within 24 hours.