U.S. Rep. Buddy Carter (R-GA) on April 27 signed on as the lead original cosponsor of a bipartisan, bicameral bill that would bolster oversight and data transparency for institutional youth treatment programs around the nation.
“Children in institutional care deserve to be safe, healthy, and properly cared for, and their parents deserve transparency about their child’s living conditions,” Rep. Carter said. “What’s happening in these facilities, too often, constitutes child abuse, and the federal government must come together to protect our nation’s youth.”
The Stop Institutional Child Abuse Act, H.R. 2955, which is sponsored by U.S. Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA), also would develop information-sharing systems among states, and promote the dissemination of best practices for identifying and preventing institutional child abuse, according to a bill summary provided by Rep. Carter’s staff.
“Right now, over 100,000 children are at risk of abuse, neglect, and even death due to a complete lack of transparency in the so-called ‘troubled-teen industry.’ We cannot allow this to continue,” said Rep. Khanna. “The Stop Institutional Child Abuse Act will shed light on the abuse and neglect occurring in congregate care programs around the country, and will start reforming a system that has gone unchecked for far too long.”
If enacted, the measure would establish the Federal Work Group on Youth Residential Programs, which would be composed of representatives from the Administration for Children and Families, the Administration for Community Living, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, and other relevant federal agencies, the summary says.
Additionally, the bill would direct the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to conduct a study on the use of restraints, seclusion, and other restrictive interventions in youth residential programs, according to the summary.
This legislation is supported by leading experts, advocates, and organizations representing survivors of institutional abuse in youth residential programs, including Rights4Girls, the First Focus Campaign for Children, the Juvenile Justice Coalition, Lives in the Balance, the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Huntington, the New Jersey Parents Caucus, the Freedom From Religion Foundation, the Neurodivergent Liberation Coalition, and the Medical Whistleblower Advocacy Network, among many others.
U.S. Sens. Susan Collins (R-ME) and Jeff Merkley (D-OR) on April 27 introduced the same-named S. 1351 in their chamber.