Child Endangerment/Failure to Protect Laws August 2014 Summary of Content Child endangerment and failure to protect laws create criminal offenses for subjecting minor children to inappropriate or dangerous situations. For example in California a person “having the care or custody of any child [who]… permits that child to be placed in a situation where his or her person or health is endangered, shall be punished by imprisonment.”1 Other state statutes specify types of dangerous situations that must be avoided. For example the Alaska criminal code creates a duty not to leave the child with a non-parent registered sex offender, or continue to leave the child with someone who the guardian knows has previously physically mistreated or had sexual contact with the child.2 This document is a comprehensive compilation of child endangerment statutes from U.S. state, territorial, and the federal jurisdictions. The author purposefully excluded criminal neglect statutes that only codify a parent’s duty to provide food, shelter, clothing, educational needs, and medical need to a child as well as hyperthermia statutes that penalize leaving children in cars unattended. Those statutes are included in separate compilations. This compilation is up-to-date as of the month it was created. However, please note that we recommend checking both case law and current legislation for any possible modifications to the statutes listed below. For further assistance, consult the National District Attorneys Association’s National Center for Prosecution of Child Abuse at 703.549.9222, or via the free online prosecution assistance service http://www.ndaa.org/ta_form.php. Prepared Under OJJDP Grant #2011-CI-FX-K005 1 Cal. Penal Code § 273a (2014). Endangering child or causing or permitting child to suffer physical pain, mental suffering, or injury; Conditions of probation 2 ALASKA STAT. § 11.51.100 (2014). Endangering the welfare of a child in the first degree National Center for Prosecution of Child Abuse National District Attorneys Association http://www.ndaa.org/ncpca_state_statutes.html1 TABLE OF CONTENTS Click on the State Heading to Reach the Statutes Section Below. TABLE OF CONTENTS ................................................................................................................................................. 2 CLICK ON THE STATE HEADING TO REACH THE STATUTES SECTION BELOW. .............................................................. 2 ALABAMA ................................................................................................................................................................. 6 ALA. CODE § 13A-13-6 (2014). ENDANGERING WELFARE OF CHILD ....................................................................... 6 ALA. CODE § 26-15-3.2 (2014). ..................................................................................................................... 6 ALASKA ..................................................................................................................................................................... 7 ALASKA STAT. § 11.51.100 (2014). ENDANGERING THE WELFARE OF A CHILD IN THE FIRST DEGREE .............................. 7 ALASKA STAT. § 11.51.110 (2014). ENDANGERING THE WELFARE OF A CHILD IN THE SECOND DEGREE .......................... 9 ARIZONA ................................................................................................................................................................... 9 ARIZ. REV. STAT. § 13-3619 (2014). PERMITTING LIFE, HEALTH OR MORALS OF MINOR TO BE IMPERILED BY NEGLECT, ABUSE OR IMMORAL ASSOCIATIONS; CLASSIFICATION ............................................................................................. 9 ARIZ. REV. STAT. § 13-3619 (2014). CHILD OR VULNERABLE ADULT ABUSE; EMOTIONAL ABUSE; CLASSIFICATION; EXCEPTIONS; DEFINITIONS ............................................................................................................................... 10 ARKANSAS .............................................................................................................................................................. 12 ARK. CODE ANN. § 5-27-205 (2014). ENDANGERING THE WELFARE OF A MINOR IN THE FIRST DEGREE ....................... 12 ARK. CODE ANN. § 5-27-206 (2014). ENDANGERING THE WELFARE OF A MINOR IN THE SECOND DEGREE ................... 12 ARK. CODE ANN. § 5-27-207 (2014). ENDANGERING THE WELFARE OF A MINOR IN THE THIRD DEGREE ...................... 13 ARK. CODE ANN. § 5-27-221 (2014). PERMITTING ABUSE OF A MINOR ................................................................ 13 CALIFORNIA ............................................................................................................................................................ 14 CAL. PENAL CODE § 273A (2014). 273A. WILLFUL HARM OR INJURY TO CHILD; ENDANGERING PERSON OR HEALTH; PUNISHMENT; CONDITIONS OF PROBATION ........................................................................................................ 14 COLORADO ............................................................................................................................................................. 16 COLO. REV. STAT. § 18-6-401 (2009). CHILD ABUSE ........................................................................................ 16 CONNECTICUT ......................................................................................................................................................... 20 CONN. GEN. STAT. § 53-21 (2014). INJURY OR RISK OF INJURY TO, OR IMPAIRING MORALS OF, CHILDREN. SALE OF CHILDREN .................................................................................................................................................... 20 DELAWARE ............................................................................................................................................................. 21 DEL. CODE ANN. TIT.11, § 1102 (2014). ENDANGERING THE WELFARE OF A CHILD; CLASS E OR G FELONY .................. 21 DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA .......................................................................................................................................... 22 FLORIDA ................................................................................................................................................................. 23 FLA. STAT. ANN. § 827.03 (2014). ABUSE, AGGRAVATED ABUSE, AND NEGLECT OF A CHILD; PENALTIES ...................... 23 GEORGIA ................................................................................................................................................................ 25 GA. CODE ANN. § 19-7-2 (2014). PARENTS' OBLIGATIONS TO CHILD ........................................................................ 25 HAWAII ................................................................................................................................................................... 25 HAW. REV. STAT. ANN. § 709-903.5 (2014). ENDANGERING THE WELFARE OF A MINOR IN THE FIRST DEGREE ............. 25 HAW. REV. STAT. ANN. § 709-904 (2014). ENDANGERING THE WELFARE OF A MINOR IN THE SECOND DEGREE ............ 26 IDAHO .................................................................................................................................................................... 26 National Center for Prosecution of Child Abuse National District Attorneys Association http://www.ndaa.org/ncpca_state_statutes.html2 IDAHO CODE ANN. § 18-1501 (2014). INJURY TO CHILDREN............................................................................... 26 ILLINOIS .................................................................................................................................................................. 27 720 ILL. COMP. STAT. 5/12C-5 (2014). ENDANGERING THE LIFE OR HEALTH OF A CHILD. ........................................ 27 720 ILL. COMP. STAT. 5/12C-15 (2014). CHILD ABANDONMENT OR ENDANGERMENT; PROBATION .......................... 28 720 ILL. COMP. STAT. 646/50 (2014). METHAMPHETAMINE-RELATED CHILD ENDANGERMENT. ............................... 29 INDIANA ................................................................................................................................................................. 30 IND. CODE § 31-34-1-2 (2012). ENDANGERMENT OF PHYSICAL OR MENTAL HEALTH ............................................... 30 IOWA ...................................................................................................................................................................... 30 IOWA CODE § 726.6 (2014). CHILD ENDANGERMENT ........................................................................................ 30 IOWA CODE § 726.6A (2014). MULTIPLE ACTS OF CHILD ENDANGERMENT--PENALTY .............................................. 32 IOWA CODE § 124.401C (2014). MANUFACTURING METHAMPHETAMINE IN PRESENCE OF MINORS ........................... 33 KANSAS .................................................................................................................................................................. 34 KAN. STAT. ANN. § 21-5601 (2014). ENDANGERING A CHILD ; AGGRAVATED ENDANGERING A CHILD ..................... 34 KENTUCKY .............................................................................................................................................................. 35 KY. REV. STAT. ANN. § 530.060 (2014). ENDANGERING WELFARE OF MINOR