Nearly 300,000 people have signed an online petition for the creation of a federal law that would make it a felony for a parent to fail to notify police of a child's disappearance or death.

The petition comes in the wake of the shocking acquittal of Casey Anthony, the Florida mother accused of killing her 2-year old daughter, Caylee, In a trial that was closely followed by the whole nation, the prosecution was unable to provide the physical evidence that Anthony had a hand in her daughter's death. One of the points argued by the prosecution in its case to prove Casey's guilt was that it took Anthony a month to report the child missing- from June to July 2008 and, even then, it was Caylee's grandmother who reported it.

The acquittal drew a backlash that gained concrete action in an online petition in the website Change.org. Michelle Crowder, an Oklahoma woman created the petition about 7 pm Tuesday. The petition, Create Caylee's Law has drawn more than 15,000 signatures hours after it was created. By early evening Wednesday, the petition had amassed 150,000 names.

The petition has already attracted legislators from at least two states, Oklahoma and Florida to sponsor bills that would require parents to report missing children quickly. In Pennsylvania, it is already illegal to conceal a child's death and is punishable by up to five years in prison.

The law like Caylee's Law will likely get passed on the state level instead of the federal level. According to University of Pittsburgh law professor, John Burkoff, most legislatures are reluctant to pass laws based on a failure to do something.

"Criminal laws like that are relatively infrequent," Burkoff said. "You can have a stupid parent. The fact that a person is stupid doesn't necessarily make them a criminal."

However after such a verdict, the call for such a law like Caylee's Law could catch popular support.

"Often legislators will do things that are popular and take a look at whether it's wise later," Burkoff said. "It's very common to overact with an unjust verdict."

The petition for "Caylee's Law" is the fastest-growing campaign the website has ever had, said Brian Purchia, a spokesman for change.org.