I 
109TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1672
To provide protection and victim services to children abducted by family 
members. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
APRIL 14, 2005
Ms. WOOLSEY introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on the Judiciary 
A BILL 
To provide protection and victim services to children 
abducted by family members.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Rights for Abducted 
Children Act of 2005’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
The Congress makes the following findings: 
(1) Each year more than 203,000 children in 
the United States (approximately 78 percent of all
abducted children) are abducted by a family mem-
ber, usually a parent. 
(2) Child psychologists now classify family ab-
duction as a form of child abuse and it is a crime 
in all 50 States and the District of Columbia. 
(3) Family abduction is currently defined solely 
as custodial interference, suggesting that the only 
victim of this crime is the left-behind parent. 
(4) Children who are abducted by family mem-
bers suffer emotional, psychological, and, often, 
physical abuse at the hands of their abductors. 
(5) More than half of the parents who abduct 
their children have a history of alcohol or substance 
abuse, a criminal record, or a history of violence. 
(6) The most common motive for family abduc-
tion is revenge against the other parent, not pro-
tecting the child’s safety. 
(7) Too often, insufficient attention is paid to 
the needs and welfare of the child victim, aggra-
vating the trauma that the child has already experi-
enced. 
SEC. 3. CHILD VICTIMS’ RIGHTS AND SERVICES. 
(a) VICTIM COMPENSATION AND ASSISTANCE.—The 
Victims of Crime Act of 1984 (42 U.S.C. 10601 et seq.) 
is amended—
(1) in section 1403(d) (42 U.S.C. 10602(d))—
(A) in paragraph (3) by striking ‘‘and’’ at 
the end; 
(B) in paragraph (4) by striking the period 
and inserting a semicolon; and 
(C) by adding at the end the following new 
paragraphs: 
‘‘(5) the term ‘victim’ includes a child victim of 
a family abduction; and 
‘‘(6) the term ‘family abduction’ means the tak-
ing, keeping, or concealing of a child or children by 
a parent, other family member, or person acting on 
behalf of the parent or family member, that prevents 
another individual from exercising lawful custody or 
visitation rights.’’; and 
(2) in section 1404(d) (42 U.S.C. 10603(d))—
(A) in paragraph (4) by striking ‘‘and’’ at 
the end; 
(B) in paragraph (5) by striking the period 
and inserting a semicolon; and 
(C) by adding at the end the following new 
paragraphs: 
‘‘(6) the term ‘victim’ includes a child victim of 
a family abduction; and
‘‘(7) the term ‘family abduction’ means the tak-
ing, keeping, or concealing of a child or children by 
a parent, other family member, or person acting on 
behalf of the parent or family member, that prevents 
another individual from exercising lawful custody or 
visitation rights.’’. 
(b) CHILD
VICTIMS’ 
AND
CHILD
WITNESSES’ 
RIGHTS.—Section 3509(a) of title 18, United States Code, 
is amended—
(1) in paragraph (2)(A), by inserting ‘‘family 
abduction,’’ after ‘‘sexual abuse,’’; 
(2) in paragraph (3), by striking ‘‘child;’’ and 
inserting ‘‘child, and includes family abduction;’’
(3) in paragraph (11), by striking ‘‘and’’ at the 
end; 
(4) in paragraph (12), by striking the period at 
the end and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 
(5) by adding at the end the following new 
paragraph: 
‘‘(13) the term ‘famly abduction’ means the 
taking, keeping, or concealing of a child or children 
by a parent, other family member, or person acting 
on behalf of the parent or family member, that pre-