| 1 | 1 | | 89R3825 BK-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Cortez H.C.R. No. 10 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | |
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| 6 | 6 | | |
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| 7 | 7 | | CONCURRENT RESOLUTION |
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| 8 | 8 | | WHEREAS, Every year, an estimated 260,000 children are |
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| 9 | 9 | | abducted in the United States, and in more than three-quarters of |
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| 10 | 10 | | these cases, the abduction is perpetrated by a family member of the |
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| 11 | 11 | | victim, typically a parent; and |
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| 12 | 12 | | WHEREAS, Family abductions often occur in the midst of |
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| 13 | 13 | | contentious divorce or child custody battles; because the abductor |
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| 14 | 14 | | is commonly a parent, kidnappings may not be recognized or reported |
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| 15 | 15 | | by witnesses, and the abducting parent may attempt to take the child |
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| 16 | 16 | | across state lines or even to a foreign country; in 2022, family |
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| 17 | 17 | | abduction cases accounted for 58 percent of all AMBER Alerts that |
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| 18 | 18 | | were issued; and |
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| 19 | 19 | | WHEREAS, Although most family abductions don't pose the same |
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| 20 | 20 | | imminent danger to the child as an abduction by a stranger, family |
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| 21 | 21 | | abductions are serious criminal offenses that can have devastating |
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| 22 | 22 | | impacts on children and families; and |
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| 23 | 23 | | WHEREAS, Parental kidnapping is illegal in every state, and |
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| 24 | 24 | | it is often prosecuted as a felony-level offense; these cases are |
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| 25 | 25 | | treated with the utmost urgency by law enforcement officials, who |
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| 26 | 26 | | work to return kidnapped children to their rightful home, even in |
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| 27 | 27 | | cases where the child does not face a threat of physical harm; and |
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| 28 | 28 | | WHEREAS, Family abductions are a violation of established |
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| 29 | 29 | | custodial rights that can have far-reaching effects on all who are |
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| 30 | 30 | | involved, and by focusing attention on the seriousness of this |
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| 31 | 31 | | crime, we may better protect our state's youngest and most |
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| 32 | 32 | | vulnerable residents from harm; now, therefore, be it |
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| 33 | 33 | | RESOLVED, That the 89th Legislature of the State of Texas |
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| 34 | 34 | | hereby designate May 23 as Family Abduction Awareness Day; and, be |
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| 35 | 35 | | it further |
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| 36 | 36 | | RESOLVED, That, in accordance with the provisions of |
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| 37 | 37 | | Section 391.004(d), Government Code, this designation remain in |
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| 38 | 38 | | effect until the 10th anniversary of the date this resolution is |
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| 39 | 39 | | finally passed by the legislature. |
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