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HD 3563

An Act to further protect children

194th Legislature (2025-2026) Introduced by Colleen Garry

The bill imposes criminal penalties on guardians who fail to promptly report a missing child (under 16 within 48 hours) or to notify authorities within an hour of a child's death.

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Bill Summary · HD 3563

Summary: An Act to further protect children (House Docket No. 3563)

Overview and purpose

This bill aims to strengthen protections for children by creating criminal penalties for certain failures by parents, legal guardians, or caretakers to report safety concerns or deaths involving a minor. Specifically, it adds a new section to Chapter 269 of the General Laws to deter delays in contacting authorities when a child’s whereabouts are unknown and to require prompt reporting of a child’s death.

Key provisions

  • New law addition: Adds Section 20 to Chapter 269 of the General Laws.
  • Scope of covered persons: Applies to a parent, legal guardian, or caretaker of a minor child who is 16 years of age or younger.
  • Missing child provision: If a caregiver willfully fails to contact law enforcement or emergency personnel about the safety or whereabouts of a minor (age 16 or younger) whose whereabouts have not been ascertained within the past 48 hours, the caregiver may be punished by imprisonment in state prison for up to 5 years.
  • Death notification provision: If a caregiver knows of a child’s death and fails to notify law enforcement or emergency personnel within one hour of learning of the death, the caregiver may be punished by:
    • Imprisonment in state prison for up to 5 years, or
    • A fine of up to $10,000 and imprisonment in a house of correction for up to 2.5 years.
  • Targets and focus: The provisions focus on timely communication with law enforcement/emergency responders and on rapid notification in the event of a child’s death.

Who is affected

  • Primary: Parents, legal guardians, and caretakers of children 16 years old or younger.
  • Secondary: Law enforcement and emergency personnel who would receive the notifications and respond to missing child cases.

Procedural and timeline aspects

  • Introduced and filed: The bill was filed on January 17, 2025 (House Docket No. 3563) in the 2025-2026 General Court session, with sponsorship by Representative Colleen M. Garry (Dracut).
  • Referral: The bill is categorized under the Judiciary committee for consideration.
  • Relation to prior efforts: A similar measure was filed in the 2023-2024 session (House No. 1504), indicating ongoing concern with missing-child reporting requirements.

Potential impact

  • The bill introduces criminal penalties to compel prompt reporting in missing-child scenarios and for timely notification in the event of a child’s death.
  • It could affect family dynamics and legal obligations of guardians, with serious penalties for noncompliance.
  • As with any criminal-law proposal, implementation would depend on final legislative action and any amendments during committee review and floor consideration.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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