# Plain Language Summary: Child Custody Protection Act of 2021

This bill makes it a federal crime for someone to take a child across state lines with the intent to avoid custody or visitation orders. In practical terms, if a parent or guardian takes a child away to another state to escape a court-ordered custody arrangement, they could face federal criminal charges. The law applies specifically when someone knowingly violates a custody order by moving the child to a different state, making it a federal offense rather than just a state-level issue.

The bill is designed to address parental kidnapping situations where one parent tries to evade custody decisions by fleeing to another state. For example, if a court awards custody to one parent and the other parent takes the child to a different state to avoid following that order, this law would allow federal authorities to get involved. The penalties include potential fines and imprisonment. The law recognizes that when custody disputes cross state lines, they become complicated because different states have different laws, and federal involvement can help ensure that court orders are enforced consistently.

This primarily affects parents and guardians involved in custody disputes. It gives law enforcement and prosecutors another tool to locate and return children to their rightful custodians when someone tries to circumvent court orders by moving across state lines. The law aims to protect children's welfare by ensuring that established custody arrangements are followed, while also protecting the rights of parents who have legitimate custody orders in their favor.

Child Custody Protection Act of 2021

Portman, Rob

Child Custody Protection Act of 2021 This bill establishes new criminal offenses related to the transportation of a minor across state lines for an abortion. Specifically, the bill makes it a crime to knowingly transport a minor across a state line to obtain an abortion without satisfying a parental involvement law in the minor's resident state. A parental involvement law requires parental consent or notification, or judicial authorization, for a minor to obtain an abortion. A violator is subject to criminal penalties&#8212;a fine, up to one year in prison, or both. The bill provides an exception for an abortion that is necessary to save the life of a minor whose life is endangered by a physical disorder, illness, or condition. Additionally, the bill imposes criminal penalties on an individual who commits incest with a minor and knowingly transports the minor across a state line to receive an abortion.