Reporting rule for missing kids is reasonable

Truly concerned parents don't need a law to tell them to report when their child is missing, especially when it involves younger children.

So the target of a new law being proposed here in Arizona is clearly parents who may have some ulterior motive for not wanting to tell authorities their child is missing.

And that is indeed the case.

Sponsors of the proposed law which was approved by the Arizona House Monday were spurred to action by the Caylee Anthony case in Florida where her mother didn't report her missing daughter for 31 days. The child was later found slain, and the mother was tried and acquitted in the infamous case.

The reaction to the Anthony case is understandable, but the reality is most missing children cases do not end that way.

And while the target may be irresponsible or even criminal parents, foes of the legislation fear some innocent parents may be harmed when the law is enforced. They specifically cite potential custody disputes between parents.

The reporting requirement does not seem unreasonable. The safety of children is a priority, and the vast majority of parents would willingly want to observe the reporting requirements.

Even the 24-hour window to report the missing child isn't out of line. The more quickly a missing child is reported, the more likely it is that authorities will be able to help in finding the child.

But we do have a problem with the punishment for missing that deadline. It would be a felony with a presumptive sentence if found guilty of 18 months in prison. That seems overly harsh, especially when the potential exists for unintentional violation of the law.

Lawmakers should lessen the penalty part of the proposed law or limit punishment to those who do harm to their children.