Bill would require parents to report missing, deceased children

The Judiciary Committee heard testimony Feb. 22 on a bill that would require parents or guardians to report deceased and missing children.

Under LB1169, introduced by Omaha Sen. Pete Pirsch, the death of a child who is 12 years or younger must be reported by the parent or legal guardian to authorities within 72 hours of acknowledgement of the child’s death.

The bill also would require a parent or legal guardian to file a report with authorities within 72 hours of acknowledging a missing child who is 12 years or younger. A person who fails to file such reports would be guilty of a Class IV felony.

Pirsch said the bill targets parents who harm children and cases in which children die due to foul play. The bill would apply to younger children who are not self-sufficient, he said.

“We are talking about heavily dependent kids who are very young and unable to care for themselves,” Pirsch said. “These are incidents where children are missing and it is clear there was foul play involved.”

No testimony was given and the committee took no immediate action on the bill.