Tabitha’s Law Approved by NJ Assembly

In 2003, a Tennessee teenager did not attend school, unbeknownst to her parents. Tabitha Tudor's parents were never notified by the school. Nine years later, the girl remains missing.

"Tabitha's Law" was approved by the full New Jersey Assembly on Thursday. The bipartisan legislation requires parents to notify public school administrators when their child will be absent in school. In turn, school officials must contact a parent if a student is absent without prior notification.

“Tabitha’s Law will help ensure the safety of our children by improving the flow of communication between parents and school officials,” said Republican Assemblyman Scott Rumana.

Assembly Democrat Patrick Diegnan said the measure could provide an early warning for parents, in case they're dealing with the worst case scenario.

“It’s well known that the first few hours of a child’s abduction are the most vital to the recovery process,” said Diegnan.

An identical measure was introduced in the Senate, but it has not yet been considered by a committee.