The bill would amend the Penal Code to create the offenses of failure to report a missing child and failure to report the death of a child.  The offense of failure to report a missing child would be punished as a Class A misdemeanor or a state jail felony, depending upon the circumstances.  The offense of failure to report the death of a child would be punished as a state jail felony.

A Class A misdemeanor is punishable by confinement in county jail for a term not to exceed one year and/or a fine not to exceed $4,000. A state jail felony is punishable by confinement in a state jail for a term from 180 days to two years and, in addition to confinement, an optional fine not to exceed $10,000.

The bill's provisions would create two new offenses. Creating new offenses is expected to increase correctional supervision and/or incarceration populations and thereby increase demands on county and state correctional resources. The state is responsible for confining convicted felony offenders and supervising them when released to parole. With funding support from the state, local probation departments are responsible for supervising convicted felony offenders under community supervision.

However, it is assumed that the number of offenders supervised or incarcerated under this statute would not significantly impact state correctional agency resources.