[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1672 Introduced in House (IH)]






109th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1672

   To provide protection and victim services to children abducted by 
                            family members.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 14, 2005

 Ms. Woolsey introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                       Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To provide protection and victim services to children abducted by 
                            family members.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Rights for Abducted Children Act of 
2005''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    The Congress makes the following findings:
            (1) Each year more than 203,000 children in the United 
        States (approximately 78 percent of all abducted children) are 
        abducted by a family member, usually a parent.
            (2) Child psychologists now classify family abduction as a 
        form of child abuse and it is a crime in all 50 States and the 
        District of Columbia.
            (3) Family abduction is currently defined solely as 
        custodial interference, suggesting that the only victim of this 
        crime is the left-behind parent.
            (4) Children who are abducted by family members suffer 
        emotional, psychological, and, often, physical abuse at the 
        hands of their abductors.
            (5) More than half of the parents who abduct their children 
        have a history of alcohol or substance abuse, a criminal 
        record, or a history of violence.
            (6) The most common motive for family abduction is revenge 
        against the other parent, not protecting the child's safety.
            (7) Too often, insufficient attention is paid to the needs 
        and welfare of the child victim, aggravating the trauma that 
        the child has already experienced.

SEC. 3. CHILD VICTIMS' RIGHTS AND SERVICES.

    (a) Victim Compensation and Assistance.--The Victims of Crime Act 
of 1984 (42 U.S.C. 10601 et seq.) is amended--
            (1) in section 1403(d) (42 U.S.C. 10602(d))--
                    (A) in paragraph (3) by striking ``and'' at the 
                end;
                    (B) in paragraph (4) by striking the period and 
                inserting a semicolon; and
                    (C) by adding at the end the following new 
                paragraphs:
            ``(5) the term `victim' includes a child victim of a family 
        abduction; and
            ``(6) the term `family abduction' means the taking, 
        keeping, or concealing of a child or children by a parent, 
        other family member, or person acting on behalf of the parent 
        or family member, that prevents another individual from 
        exercising lawful custody or visitation rights.''; and
            (2) in section 1404(d) (42 U.S.C. 10603(d))--
                    (A) in paragraph (4) by striking ``and'' at the 
                end;
                    (B) in paragraph (5) by striking the period and 
                inserting a semicolon; and
                    (C) by adding at the end the following new 
                paragraphs:
            ``(6) the term `victim' includes a child victim of a family 
        abduction; and
            ``(7) the term `family abduction' means the taking, 
        keeping, or concealing of a child or children by a parent, 
        other family member, or person acting on behalf of the parent 
        or family member, that prevents another individual from 
        exercising lawful custody or visitation rights.''.
    (b) Child Victims' and Child Witnesses' Rights.--Section 3509(a) of 
title 18, United States Code, is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (2)(A), by inserting ``family abduction,'' 
        after ``sexual abuse,'';
            (2) in paragraph (3), by striking ``child;'' and inserting 
        ``child, and includes family abduction;''
            (3) in paragraph (11), by striking ``and'' at the end;
            (4) in paragraph (12), by striking the period at the end 
        and inserting ``; and''; and
            (5) by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
            ``(13) the term `famly abduction' means the taking, 
        keeping, or concealing of a child or children by a parent, 
        other family member, or person acting on behalf of the parent 
        or family member, that prevents another individual from 
        exercising lawful custody or visitation rights.''.
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