Anthony case fires up Texas senator

AUSTIN (KXAN) - A Texas lawmakers is responding to the much publicized Caylee Anthony case played out in court in recent months. Sen. Chris Harris, R-Arlington, said he intends to introduce legislation to make it a state felony for a parent or legal guardian who fails to report a child missing in a timely manner.

"This law will discourage behavior like that seen in the case of Casey Anthony,” Harris said regarding misleading information two-year-old Caylee’s mother presented to officials after the child’s disappearance.

Casey Anthony was indicted on a first degree murder charge in October 2008 in a Florida court. She maintained her innocence, saying Caylee died accidentally by drowning in the family swimming pool.

This week, a jury found Casey not guilty of first degree murder, aggravated manslaughter of a child, and aggravated child abuse. Jurors found her guilty of four misdemeanor counts of providing false information to a law enforcement officer. She was sentenced to one year in jail and $1,000 in fines for each count.
It is shocking that there is nothing in the Texas law that requires a parent to report a missing child," said Harris. "In a missing persons case, time is essential and every second counts."

Caylee was reported missing more than a month after her grandparents’ began asking her mother of her whereabouts, though Casey gave false information to her family and police officials. Another month passed before remains were found in a forested area near the Anthony residence, later identified as Caylee’s remains.

In Texas, current law simply provides a Class A Misdemeanor for knowingly failing to report abuse or neglect. It does not provide a penalty for failure to report a missing child or death of a child.

In response to a question over what Harris considers “a timely matter” in his intended bill, his spokesperson, Kristen Webb, said, “We will determine what would be an appropriate time limit as we develop the legislation over the interim.

As Chair of the Texas Senate Jurisprudence Committee and longtime family law attorney, Harris boasts extensive knowledge of the Family Code. His office says he has been an advocate for children and family values since 1985 when he was first sworn in to office.

"We need stronger laws in Texas to ensure the rights and protection of our children," Harris said.

The soonest Harris’ legislation likely could become law would be sometime in 2013 upon the convening of the next Texas legislature. However, if he sees fit, Gov. Rick Perry could call another special session in the interim to address additional issues, possibly including the missing child matter.