Hope Spreads as Florida’s Child Abduction Prevention Bill Passes Key Senate Committee

Today in Florida’s Senate the ‘Criminal and Civil Justice Appropriations Committee’ Chairman Christ, Vice-Chairwoman Wilson, and the remaining committee members voted unanimously in favor of ‘Child Abduction Prevention Act’ sponsored by children advocates Senator Eleanor Sobel and Representative Darryl Rouson.

Today, Florida’s lawmakers demonstrated remarkable local and national leadership as this critical piece of legislation designed to prevent domestic and international parental child abduction took another major step forward into becoming reality. With all three necessary senate committees all voting unanimously on SB 1862, the next step is for the bill to be voted on the senate floor in the coming weeks. It is greatly anticipated that the ‘Child Abduction Prevention Act’ bill, written by child advocate Carolyn Ann Vlk, will overwhelmingly pass the Senate.

Up next for the ‘Child Abduction Prevention Act’ is Chairman Representative Llorente’s ‘Policy Council’, which is expected to agenda the bill this coming Friday. Representative Llorente, the Chairman of the House’s Policy Council, is an active advocate and supporter of children’s causes. An independent bill analysis conducted by his committee was extremely favorable of HB 787.

However, the critical legislation still faces some serious obstacles in the House of Representatives. The most serious one is if Representative William Snyder, the Chairman of the House’s ‘Criminal and Civil Justice and Policy Council Committee’ and a policymaker with a long and distinguished career in law enforcement will agenda the bill if in fact it passes through Representative Llorente’s ‘Policy Council’ this Friday, as it is expected to. According to a staff member in Representative Snyder’s office, the ‘Child Abduction Prevention Act’ is on the Chairman’s radar, and he is carefully following its movement.

Carolyn Vlk, the ‘Child Abduction Prevention Act’ author said today after the Senate’s unanimous vote, “Today marks another step forward in the creation of law that will protect the children of our state from the cruelty of child abduction. I am very pleased to see Chairman Christ’s and Vice-Chairwoman Wilson’s leadership today. The citizens of our great state should take note of their leadership. Now, SB 1862 will be brought to the Senate floor. And with three unanimous Senate committee votes, it appears that the Senate is in full support of the bill. And I would like to share my deep appreciation for Senator Eleanor Sobel for her continued commitment to protecting the children of our state. Senator Sobel is deeply respected in the Senate and by her constituents.”

Peter Thomas Senese, the producer of the documentary film on international parental child abduction titled ‘Chasing Parents: Racing Into The Storms Of International Parental Child Abduction’ and the author of the highly praised upcoming book titled ‘Chasing The Cyclone’ stated after the Senate’s vote, “Today is a clear indicator that the lawmakers in Florida take very seriously their responsibility to protect the children of the state. By passing unanimously this bill through all three senate committees, the ‘Child Abduction Prevention Act’ bill looks that much closer to becoming a reality. When this bill becomes law, the lawmakers of Florida will have set an example for many other states to follow. Fortunately, the issue of parental child abduction has been one that is understood by the policymakers for exactly what this is: a cruel crime against innocent children who need their protection. This bill must be passed into law. And when it does, I believe many other states and their lawmakers will follow the leadership the policymakers in Florida have demonstrated.”

Representative Darryl Rouson, who initially sponsored the bill in the House of Representatives previously stated, “I am extremely pleased with today’s Senate Committee passage of the ‘Child Abduction Prevention Act’ bill. Obviously there is more work to do; however, it is becoming clearer by the day that my fellow lawmakers realize just how critical this bill is for all children residing in the state of Florida. Unquestionably, when the ‘Child Abduction Prevention Act’ becomes law, the safety of our children in this state will increase substantially. And that, our children’s safety, is what this is all about.”

Today in Florida, it was a good day for our children.

To learn more about Florida’s ‘Child Abduction Prevention Act’ bill, please visit www.floridachildabductionpreventionact.info. To learn more about international parental child abduction, please visit www.chasingthecyclone.com.