On Tuesday, March 9th, 2010 the State of Florida took a major first step in protecting that state’s children from the horror of parental child abduction. In a bill sponsored by Senator Eleanor Sobel, a unanimous vote of eight ‘Yeas’ and zero ‘Nays’ occurred before the Florida State Senate’s ‘Children, Families, and Elder Affairs Committee’, the Senate moved through its first committee the critically important abduction preventive bill titled the ‘Child Abduction Prevention Act’. The Senate’s next step is to have the bill voted on by its ‘Judiciary Committee’, which should happen in the forthcoming weeks. If the bill passes a Judiciary Committee vote, it will then move forward to the ‘Civil Justice Appropriations Committee’, before a final vote before the Senate. Senator Eleanor Sobel commented that “I am pleased with the unanimous and bipartisan support that the Child Abduction Prevention Act received in the Senate. This law will help prevent children from the agony of being abducted from Florida by adding risk factors for the judge to consider and arming that judge with the increased preventative measures.”
Florida’s House of Representatives is expected in the near future.
The bill was filed by children’s advocate Representative Daryl Rouson and has been referred to Florida ’s House of Representatives ‘Public Safety and Domestic Security Policy Committee’.
Florida Senate’s SB1862 and Florida’s House of Representatives adjoining bill (HB787), if passed, will amend Florida Statute §61.45 by adding certain risk factors of child abduction and provides a list of preventative measures a judge may use to prevent these abductions from occurring. Inclusion of these provisions will strengthen Florida’s week law and bring it into conformity with the ‘Uniform Child Abduction Prevention Act’ (UPACA), which has been enacted by ten states.
Through the dynamic efforts of Ms. Carolyn Ann Vlk, a mother desperately trying to protect her own child from the cruel fate of being internationally parentally abducted, Florida today has a real opportunity to protect its own children by passing their ‘Child Abduction Prevention Act’.
Representative Rouson stated “I am horrified that child abductions by family members are occurring at such a high rate. This legislation gives judges more discretion and the ability to fight family child abductions so our children remain safe.”
Ken Connelly, author of ‘Throwing Stones; Parental Child Abduction through the Eyes of a Child’, states HB-787 is a desperately needed law. Too many children are abducted annually to ignore such a grave and growing issue. If this law had been in effect in my home state before I was kidnapped, it may have prevented not only the abduction by my father, but the lives altered by this dark and silent crime. I urge Florida’s elected representatives to sign HB-787 into law and save our children before it is too late."
Peter Thomas Senese, the author of ‘Chasing The Cyclone’, and, producer of the documentary film titled ‘Chasing Parents: Racing Into the Storms of International Parental Child Abduction’ added, “It is critically important for the State of Florida to pass this imperative legislation in the name of not only the children of Florida, but by doing so, the actions of the state’s policymakers will provide much greater guidance for other states. This opportunity to demonstrate leadership in the area of education and prevention is now in Florida’s hands."