Overdue legislation initiated by Senator Kevin O’Toole (R-Bergen, Essex, Morris, Passaic) for parents, school officials and authorities to instantly share when students may be missing, lost or abducted has been signed into law by Gov. Chris Christie.

“Community leaders and parents will now be required to take immediate, personal responsibility for the children they must care for and protect,” O’Toole said. “Just a few seconds of accountability can be enough to save lives and solve abductions.”

Senator O’Toole’s S-721, known as “Tabitha’s Law,” requires parents to notify school administrators whenever their child will be absent from school, and, in turn, requires administrators to contact parents whenever a pupil is absent without the parents having provided prior notice.

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