The Tennessee House Judiciary Committee is recommending the passage of a bill known as "Evelyn Boswell's Law" that would increase penalties for parents or guardians who don't report their children missing in a timely manner.
The law was proposed in honor of missing Sullivan County toddler Evelyn Boswell, who authorities said had been reported missing in February 2020 even though she hadn't been seen since December 2019. Evelyn was later found dead in March on property belonging to a family member, the TBI said.
If passed, the law would require parents or guardians to verbally report when a child in their care is missing, has been abducted, or has run away within 48 hours of that child’s disappearance, followed by a written report as requested by law enforcement.
As a result of the amendment, failure to report or delaying a report while demonstrating reckless disregard for the safety of a child would be considered a Class A misdemeanor, punishable by up to 11 months and 29 days in jail, a fine of up to $2,500 or both.
If a parent or guardian fails to report or delay reporting with reckless disregard resulting in serious bodily harm or death, they would be charged with a Class C felony, punishable by three to fifteen years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000.
On Monday, the Tennessee House Judiciary Committee recommended the law for passage and referred it to the Calendar and Rules Committee to schedule it for a vote on the floor. The Senate Judiciary Committee is scheduled to take up the bill's counterpart in the Senate on Tuesday.