parent and child with backpack
Bill Protecting Arizona’s Missing Children Signed Into Law

May 18, 2024

By Daniel Stefanski |

A Republican law to protect missing children in Arizona has been signed into law.

This week, State Representative Barbara Parker championed the success of her bill HB 2479, which will “provide for the establishment of a Missing, Abducted and Runaway Children Unit within the Arizona Department of Child Safety (DCS) if DCS fails to comply with statute; [and] revises various other requirements related to the recovery efforts for a child who is missing, abducted or runaway (disappeared)” – according to the overview provided by the Arizona House of Representatives.

Governor Katie Hobbs signed the bill into law on April 10.

In a statement to accompany her announcement about the bill signing, Parker said, “I couldn’t be prouder that HB 2479 has been signed into law. When I came to the legislature, I didn’t have any idea I would focus on this issue. Yet, two young women who went missing were eventually found dead in my district leaving members of our society shell-shocked and necessitating stronger interventions immediately. These tragic incidents make me determined not to forget or abandon even ONE child while serving in office since I have seen their heart wrenching consequences at close range.”

The Republican State Representative added, “The new statute will promote children’s welfare by holding its child safety systems accountable and significantly enhance our efforts at avoiding such misfortunes as well as assisting those affected families. I’m so grateful to my colleagues, Senator Farnsworth, and the foster care community who were involved in perfecting the legislation along the way. Thank you!”

Parker noted that her newly enacted bill “builds upon another law that she wrote last year, HB 2651, aimed at changing DCS’ reporting obligations when children go missing or are abducted or run away.”

Back in February, the bill passed the Arizona House with a bipartisan vote of 37-20 (with two members not voting and one seat vacant). After it was transferred to the state Senate, it was amended and passed with a 27-0 result (with three members not voting). The state House then concurred with the Senate’s changes with an overwhelming 46-12 tally (with two members not voting).

On the Arizona Legislature’s Request to Speak system, representatives from the EPIC Group and Arizona National Organization for Women signed in to support the proposal, while representatives from the Arizona Department of Child Safety and Arizona Association of Chiefs of Police indicated their neutral standing on the bill.

HB 2479 will go into effect 90 days after the conclusion of the 2024 Arizona Legislative Session.

Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.

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