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Background: On April 20, 2005, Congressman George Miller (left) introduced HR 1738 -- "End Institutional Abuse Against Children Act" -- into the United States House of Representatives. The bill has been assigned to the Committee on Education and the Workforce and to the Committee on International Relations. The bill would: (1) provide $50 million in funding to states to support the licensing of child residential treatment programs. States would have to monitor the programs regularly to ensure their compliance with licensing requirements; (2) establish federal civil and criminal penalties for the abuse of children in residential treatment programs; (3) expand federal authority to regulate programs located overseas but run by U.S. companies and provide civil penalties for program operators that violate federal regulations; and (4) require the State Department to report any abuse of American children overseas. For press release from Congressman Miller, click here. For a copy of the bill, click here. Share you views with Congressman Miller
about this bill: Share you views about this bill with your
own U.S. Representative. To look up contact information for the
Representative from your congressional district,
click
here
- Letter from
Dr. Alison Pinto asking for support for HR 1738
Background: On April 14, 2005, Rep. Lynn Woolsey (left) introduced HR 1672 -- Rights for Abducted Children Act of 2005 -- into the United States House of Representatives. The bill has been assigned to the House Committee on the Judiciary. The bill would amend the Victims of Crime Act of 1984 so that children who are victims of a "family abduction" would be eligible for victim's compensation and assistance. For a copy of the bill, click here. Comment: This bill is a step forward to the the extent that it acknowledges the national problem of abductions of children by family members and moves beyond the current focus on the left-behind parent as the only victim of a family abduction. Findings in the bill acknowledge that children who are abducted by family members suffer emotional trauma and other harm and that child psychologists classify family abductions as a form of child abuse. However, the bill falls short of the mark to the extent that it does not include situations where both parents hire someone to abduct their child and transport the child against his or her will to a private residential facility without court approval. This bill offers an opportunity for conversations with the sponsoring organization -- the Polly Klass Foundation -- about the national problem of family abductions perpetrated at the instigation of both parents. It also affords an opportunity for the consideration of legislation to regulate abduction-for-hire businesses which trap children and escort them against their will to "boot camps" or "behavior modification programs" or other businesses operating private residential programs. An abducted child is a victim of abuse and experienced trauma regardless of whether he or she is abducted at the behest of one parent or both parents. Please contact the Polly Klass Foundation and the author of HR 1672 to share your views with them about the lack of regulation of the the interstate transportation of children who are abducted by businesses at the behest of one or both parents. Contact information: Rep. Lynn Woolsey Polly Klass Foundation Montana
Background: Senator Trudi Schmidt (left) sponsored a bill (SB 101) which, in its original version would have required state regulation and licensing of youth residential therapeutic programs. The bill, as amended, was approved by the Senate (28-22) on Feb. 16, 2005 and sent to the House. The amended version only requires registration of such facilities and calls for an interim study and report to the Legislature by 2007 on the issue of mandatory licensing. The amended bill was tabled on March 22 in the House Education Committee.
This effectively kills the bill.
Contact info for Senator Trudi Schmidt. Utah
Background: Senator Chris Buttars (left) sponsored a bill (SB 176) which would have require state regulation and licensing of private "therapeutic schools" for minors. The bill was approved (3-0) by the Senate Health and Human Services Committee on February 4, 2005 and sent to the full Senate. Senate Bill 176 defined these schools as residential treatment facilities catering to students "who have a history of failing to function at home and in school," private schools that offer room-and-board and "specialized supervision," or treatment programs for emotionally and behaviorally disabled youths. A representative of Majestic Ranch, a facility housing more than 60 children ages 7 to 12, testified against SB 176 at the committee hearing. A story in the Salt Lake Tribune reported that Majestic Ranch has been investigated three separate times for alleged abuse, resulting in one criminal charge and conviction.
Update: 3-17-05:
SB 107 was signed into law by Governor Jon
Huntsman today. As a result, residential facilities such as
Majestic Ranch will have to be licensed by the State of Utah and will be
subject to routine inspections by child protection agencies. | ||
Update:
3-1-05: