Pass Javeayah’s Law: Close the Federal Hoax Loophole and Protect Our Children
The Issue
Like so many of you, our hearts are completely broken over the tragic loss of 4-year-old Javeayah Harris. But alongside the heartbreak, we are incredibly angry.
When Javeayah went missing, our community poured its heart out searching for her. Law enforcement, the FBI, and selfless volunteers spent countless hours and vital resources looking for a missing little girl—only to find out it was all a cruel cover-up. It is sickening to watch individuals weaponize a community’s goodwill and exhaust emergency resources just to hide a horrific crime.
We need to change the law so this NEVER happens again without catastrophic consequences.
Why Existing Laws Fall Short: Closing the Loopholes
Many believe current laws are enough, but a closer look reveals massive gaps between state-level penalties and the true cost of these federal multi-agency manhunts:
The Federal Hoax Loophole (18 U.S. Code § 1038): Right now, federal law strictly punishes people financially for fake bomb threats or terrorist hoaxes, legally forcing them to pay back every single dime spent on the emergency response. But there is a massive loophole: it does not automatically mandate those same financial penalties for someone who fabricates a child’s disappearance to cover up abuse or homicide.
The State Law Gap (S.C. Code § 16-17-722): State-level statutes for "Filing a False Police Report" carry minimal weight. Falsely reporting a felony tops out at a maximum of 5 years in prison and a minor $1,000 fine. Furthermore, any financial restitution to local police under state law is entirely at the judge's discretion—it is not guaranteed, and it does not automatically cover federal entities like the FBI. Some point to local laws like South Carolina’s state statute for filing a false police report (S.C. Code § 16-17-722) and claim the problem is already covered. It is not. While that state law mentions restitution to an "investigating agency," a local state statute does not possess the jurisdictional authority to mandate or guarantee massive financial payback to federal entities like the FBI. We need Javeayah’s Law to create an automatic, non-negotiable federal felony that forces abusers to face guaranteed, catastrophic financial ruin at the federal level for weaponizing multi-agency search resources.
The Limits of Caylee’s Law: While various state-level "Caylee’s Laws" make it a felony for a parent or guardian to fail to report a missing or deceased child in a timely manner, they focus heavily on the delay or failure to report. They do not explicitly focus on weaponizing the system with a active, fabricated cover-up, nor do they mandate total financial ruin for the multi-agency search costs.
Our Demands: What "Javeayah’s Law" Will Do
We are petitioning lawmakers to pass a federal amendment known as Javeayah’s Law to enact real, permanent change:
Mandatory Federal Felony: Anyone who intentionally fabricates the disappearance of a minor to conceal a crime will automatically face a mandatory federal felony charge, separate from any underlying state or federal abuse and homicide charges.
Guaranteed Financial Ruin: If you waste federal, state, and local resources to cover your tracks, you will be legally required to pay back every single dime of the taxpayer money spent on the multi-agency response. No exceptions, no judicial discretion.
Preventive Action: Mandatory Parenting Education
True child protection requires intervention before tragedy occurs. Alongside criminal reform, this petition demands proactive safeguards to equip young parents with the tools, coping mechanisms, and support networks they desperately need.
We demand state and federal legislation requiring mandatory parenting and child-development classes for all expectant or new parents aged 25 and under.
The Framework: These classes will be automatically triggered and organized once a pregnancy or birth is registered with the hospital where the mother plans to deliver.
The Goal: By providing critical instruction on safe sleep, postpartum mental health, emotional coping strategies for high-stress situations, and child development, we can actively prevent abuse born from isolation and a lack of preparation.
This isn’t political. It’s common sense child protection & consequences for "crying wolf" to everyone involved in the investigation. If you believe that we must eliminate the loopholes shielding abusers and build a safer foundation for our children, please sign and share this petition.
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The Issue
Like so many of you, our hearts are completely broken over the tragic loss of 4-year-old Javeayah Harris. But alongside the heartbreak, we are incredibly angry.
When Javeayah went missing, our community poured its heart out searching for her. Law enforcement, the FBI, and selfless volunteers spent countless hours and vital resources looking for a missing little girl—only to find out it was all a cruel cover-up. It is sickening to watch individuals weaponize a community’s goodwill and exhaust emergency resources just to hide a horrific crime.
We need to change the law so this NEVER happens again without catastrophic consequences.
Why Existing Laws Fall Short: Closing the Loopholes
Many believe current laws are enough, but a closer look reveals massive gaps between state-level penalties and the true cost of these federal multi-agency manhunts:
The Federal Hoax Loophole (18 U.S. Code § 1038): Right now, federal law strictly punishes people financially for fake bomb threats or terrorist hoaxes, legally forcing them to pay back every single dime spent on the emergency response. But there is a massive loophole: it does not automatically mandate those same financial penalties for someone who fabricates a child’s disappearance to cover up abuse or homicide.
The State Law Gap (S.C. Code § 16-17-722): State-level statutes for "Filing a False Police Report" carry minimal weight. Falsely reporting a felony tops out at a maximum of 5 years in prison and a minor $1,000 fine. Furthermore, any financial restitution to local police under state law is entirely at the judge's discretion—it is not guaranteed, and it does not automatically cover federal entities like the FBI. Some point to local laws like South Carolina’s state statute for filing a false police report (S.C. Code § 16-17-722) and claim the problem is already covered. It is not. While that state law mentions restitution to an "investigating agency," a local state statute does not possess the jurisdictional authority to mandate or guarantee massive financial payback to federal entities like the FBI. We need Javeayah’s Law to create an automatic, non-negotiable federal felony that forces abusers to face guaranteed, catastrophic financial ruin at the federal level for weaponizing multi-agency search resources.
The Limits of Caylee’s Law: While various state-level "Caylee’s Laws" make it a felony for a parent or guardian to fail to report a missing or deceased child in a timely manner, they focus heavily on the delay or failure to report. They do not explicitly focus on weaponizing the system with a active, fabricated cover-up, nor do they mandate total financial ruin for the multi-agency search costs.
Our Demands: What "Javeayah’s Law" Will Do
We are petitioning lawmakers to pass a federal amendment known as Javeayah’s Law to enact real, permanent change:
Mandatory Federal Felony: Anyone who intentionally fabricates the disappearance of a minor to conceal a crime will automatically face a mandatory federal felony charge, separate from any underlying state or federal abuse and homicide charges.
Guaranteed Financial Ruin: If you waste federal, state, and local resources to cover your tracks, you will be legally required to pay back every single dime of the taxpayer money spent on the multi-agency response. No exceptions, no judicial discretion.
Preventive Action: Mandatory Parenting Education
True child protection requires intervention before tragedy occurs. Alongside criminal reform, this petition demands proactive safeguards to equip young parents with the tools, coping mechanisms, and support networks they desperately need.
We demand state and federal legislation requiring mandatory parenting and child-development classes for all expectant or new parents aged 25 and under.
The Framework: These classes will be automatically triggered and organized once a pregnancy or birth is registered with the hospital where the mother plans to deliver.
The Goal: By providing critical instruction on safe sleep, postpartum mental health, emotional coping strategies for high-stress situations, and child development, we can actively prevent abuse born from isolation and a lack of preparation.
This isn’t political. It’s common sense child protection & consequences for "crying wolf" to everyone involved in the investigation. If you believe that we must eliminate the loopholes shielding abusers and build a safer foundation for our children, please sign and share this petition.
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Petition created on July 8, 2026