A Connecticut State Senator wants to make it a crime for parents to delay reporting a missing child or to lie about it.
Republican John Kissel, or Enfield, said he will propose the "Caylee's law" legislation during next year's session, according to the Journal Inquirer. The bill will be named for Caylee Anthony of Florida. Last week, a Florida jury found Casey Anthony, Calyee's mother, not guilty of murdering her daughter.
Caylee had been missing for 31 days before Casey Anthony reported her missing. The jury found Anthony guilty of misleading police about her daughter's whereabouts.
"What we saw play out in Florida was heartbreaking, and if we can strengthen our state laws in this area, we should," Kissel told the paper. "This proposal will oblige parents and guardians to promptly report disappearances. It will also cause people to think twice before making false statements to law enforcement authorities."
The proposal would make it a misdemeanor for parents, guardians or caretakers to knowingly fail to report that a child is missing, according to the Journal Inquirer. It would mean up to a year in prison and a $2,000 fine.
Lying to police in a case involving a missing child would be a felony under Kissel's proposal, punishable by one to five years in prison and a fine of up to $5,000, the paper reported.
