SB 210-CRIMES AGAINST CHILDREN
1:35:36 PM
CHAIR FRENCH announced the consideration of SB 210, and asked
for a motion to adopt the proposed committee substitute (CS),
version D.
1:35:42 PM
SENATOR WIELECHOWSKI moved to adopt the work draft CS for SB
210, labeled 27-LS1362\D, as the working document.
CHAIR FRENCH announced that without objection version D was
before the committee.
AMY SALTZMAN, staff to Senator McGuire, sponsor of SB 210,
explained that version D was the same as [version M] that was
last before the committee. She summarized that the bill provides
harsher penalties for anyone that causes physical injury to a
child. Section 1 increases the protection from under 10 years of
age to under 12 years of age in regard to third degree assault
for physical injury to a child. Section 2 provides a class C
felony for anyone who withholds food or water and causes
protracted harm to the child's health. Section 4 amends the
definition of "serious physical injury" to include:
(C) physical injury to a person under 12 years of age
that causes
(i) serious disfigurement;
(ii) impairment of health, by serious bruising or
other injury, that reasonably requires medical
evaluation or
treatment by a health care professional;
(iii) loss or impairment of the function of a
body
member or organ; or
(iv) serious impediment of blood circulation or
breathing;
MS. SALTZMAN said the sponsor worked closely with the Department
of Law (DOL) on the amended definition.
CHAIR FRENCH said the bill was a good idea, because kids deserve
this kind of protection.
1:38:11 PM
SENATOR COGHILL referred to Section 4, page 3, lines 9-10, and
said he wanted to make sure he understood the meaning of
"recklessly fails to provide." He interpreted it to mean that
someone purposefully withholds food or drink such that it causes
physical impairment.
CHAIR FRENCH said that was his reading.
SENATOR PASKVAN said he understood "reckless" to mean a gross
deviation from the normal standard of care for a child.
SENATOR COGHILL said he wanted to make sure this would not catch
people that had other failures in their life, but did not intend
to harm the child.
CHAIR FRENCH found no further questions and asked for a motion.
1:39:41 PM
SENATOR WIELECHOWSKI moved to report CS for SB 210 from
committee with individual recommendations and attached fiscal
note(s).
CHAIR FRENCH announced that without objection, CSSB 210(JUD)
moved from Senate Judiciary Standing Committee.