California · Penal Code
PEN §273j: (a) (1) Any parent or guardian having the care, custody, or control of a child under 14 years of age who knows or should have known that the child has died shall notify a public safety agency, as defi
What this law says, in plain English
Parents or guardians must notify public safety agencies within 24 hours if a child under 14 dies or goes missing with evidence of risk. Violation is a misdemeanor punishable by up to one year jail and/or $1,000 fine.
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