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Supporters call UCAPA a preventive tool; critics warn the child-abduction bill could be weaponized against survivors
Summary
Testimony on House Bill 1710 (Uniform Child Abduction Prevention Act) split supporters, who said it gives courts preventive tools, and advocates and legislators, who warned it could be misused and raised due-process concerns. Witnesses were asked to provide comparative materials.
The Children and Family Law Committee heard more than two hours of testimony on House Bill 1710, which would adopt the Uniform Child Abduction Prevention Act (UCAPA) and give courts preventive authority when a "credible risk of abduction" exists.
Representative Jay Markel, sponsor of HB 1710, described the bill as a model-based, customizable statute drafted by the Uniform Law Commission and intended to give courts evidence-based tools—travel restrictions, passport alerts and targeted relief—before a child is removed from a jurisdiction. Markel told the committee that "some of the things that a court shall consider" include prior attempts, threats, and steps such as…
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