NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN/WJHL) – Tennessee lawmakers are again making a push to require parents report their minor children missing as part of a piece of legislation honoring deceased Sullivan County toddler Evelyn Boswell.
According to the Tennessee General Assembly website, Representative John Crawford (R-Kingsport) filed House Bill 0384, commonly referred to as “Evelyn Boswell’s Law,” for introduction on Friday, January 22.
“A great tragedy for our community,” Rep. Crawford said.
The proposed legislation was introduced and advanced in the Tennessee House of Representatives at the previous general assembly but stalled.
The bill states that parents of missing children shall report the child as missing to either a law enforcement agency or the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation within a reasonable time not exceeding the 24-hour period.
“Don’t know that this bill would’ve made a difference in her case, but hopefully this bill will make a difference for everyone else in the state and make their communities safer,” said Crawford, the House sponsor of the bill.
If passed, the law would charge parents who do not meet the requirements with failure to report a missing child a Class A misdemeanor.
HB 0384 does clarify that parents may defend themselves from prosecution if they have made “reasonably diligent efforts to verify the whereabouts and safety of the minor child during the period.”
Under the proposed “Evelyn Boswell’s Law,” anyone who falsely and knowingly accuses a parent of failing to report a child as missing may be charged with false reports and could be fined.
“If somebody makes an accusation against someone — you know just to kind of cause problems or spite or that kind of thing it’s addressed in the bill that there is a misdemeanor penalty for that,” Crawford said.
The law would take effect July 1, 2021 if passed.
