Washington, DC – Today, Representatives Ro Khanna (CA-17), Earl L. “Buddy” Carter (GA-01), along with Senators Jeff Merkley (D-OR), John Cornyn (R-TX), and Tommy Tuberville (R-AL), were joined by Paris Hilton in celebrating the passage of the Stop Institutional Child Abuse Act in the House. The legislation, which passed the Senate last week by unanimous consent, will head to the President’s desk to be signed into law.
Paris Hilton, a survivor of institutional child abuse in the so-called “troubled teen” industry who has led reform efforts for years, joined the lawmakers for a press conference this week on Capitol Hill to discuss how the legislation will ensure accountability and protect over 100,000 youth in America. This bipartisan, bicameral bill will provide greater oversight and data transparency for institutional youth treatment programs and will help identify and prevent institutional child abuse.
“Children across the country are at risk of abuse and neglect due to a lack of transparency in institutional youth treatment programs. The industry has gone unchecked for too long. Paris Hilton and other survivors of abuse in this broken system have bravely shared their stories and inspired change. I’m proud to lead this legislation with my colleagues to protect the safety and well-being of kids,” said Rep. Ro Khanna.
“One child experiencing abuse is too many. Hundreds of thousands of children being funneled into seemingly safe institutional care facilities only to be dehumanized and abused is a crisis, one that I am thrilled Congress took action to address today. When this bill is signed into law, parents and children alike will have an accurate understanding of the practices, goals, and ethics of residential youth treatment centers before it’s too late. This bill adds transparency and oversight to an industry with too many bad actors in it, and I want to thank Paris Hilton for her bravery that made this bill passage possible,” said Rep. Earl L. “Buddy” Carter.
“Since releasing my documentary four years ago and sharing my story about the abuse I endured in youth residential treatment facilities, the response has been overwhelming. I made a vow to do everything in my power to advocate for survivors and shine a light on the harsh reality that hundreds of thousands of children still face. After years of fighting for this bill and countless trips to the Capitol, I am so proud that the Stop Institutional Child Abuse Act has officially passed Congress. I never imagined my voice could create such change, and I am committed to using my platform to protect children, amplify the voices of survivors, and ensure no child is ever harmed in the name of “treatment” again. I look forward to this bill being signed by President Biden and hope to celebrate this achievement at a bill signing,” said Paris Hilton.
“Often, a child seeking help is harmed instead—this must end. This strongly bipartisan effort to bring oversight to the troubled teen industry has been years in the making, and now, our bill to shine a light on the horrifying cases at these centers is on the way to becoming law,” said Senator Jeff Merkley, the lead sponsor of the Stop Institutional Child Abuse Act in the Senate.
“Some children in residential youth programs have faced unimaginable abuse and neglect, and I am proud to have introduced this legislation to help ensure institutional child abuse comes to an end. Now that both the Senate and the House have passed this critical legislation, I look forward to the President signing it into law to help protect vulnerable youth from these horrific conditions,” said Senator John Cornyn.
“I dedicated my life to mentoring young people because they are the most precious commodity that we have. If we get everything else right, but neglect our young people, our country has no future. There’s an old saying that sunlight is the best disinfectant. We need some more sunlight on these facilities so we can put a stop to the waste, and the fraud, and abuse in the system. I’m proud to support the Stop Institutional Child Abuse Act and stand with our kids,” said Senator Tommy Tuberville.
For the full text of the legislation, click here.
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