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LEGISLATION
FEDERAL
• MONTANA •
UTAH
FEDERAL
GAO INVESTIGATES TROUBLED TEEN
BOOT-CAMP STYLE PROGRAMS
Highlights of the GAO findings
Read what they uncovered -
Click here for GAO report
(Note: A more comprehensive report will be prepared Winter 2008)
CONGRESSMAN GEORGE MILLER CALLS FOR
A CONGRESSIONAL HEARING
On October 10, 2007, The Committee of Education and Labor held a
hearing
on cases of child abuse and neglect at private Residential Treatment
Facilities.
Click
here to watch the
Congressional hearing
Parents share their stories of the abuse endured by their children
Congressman Miller pushes for Federal Regulations
Click here for more news and
information
PENDING FEDERAL
LEGISLATION
PROPOSED FEDERAL BILL HR 1738 "END
INSTITUTIONALIZED ABUSE AGAINST CHILDREN"
Currently there is pending Federal legislation that, if passed,
would ensure all youth residential facilities and programs
would be
licensed and regulated.
To track
bill:
Type H.R. 1738 under "Bill Number"
and press search.
Then click on "Bill Summary and Status"
Click here.
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h109-1738
Click here
for a copy of the bill.
On
April 20, 2005:
Congressman George Miller introduced Federal Bill
HR 1738 into the US House of
Representatives
For Congressman Miller's press release, please
click
here.
For a copy of the bill (in pdf format),
click here.
On the same day a new lawsuit was filed
with allegations of child abuse at Majestic Ranch, a World Wide
Association
of Specialty Programs (WWASP) program, Congressman Miller
proposed this new bill.
Click here
for the article.
Click
here for
information on abusive practices at Majestic Ranch.
What's next:
Per Congressman
Miller's office,
Proposed Bill HR1738 needs to be set for hearing before
moving forward.
Chairman
John Boehner is responsible for setting the bill for hearing.
Chairman Henry Hyde has been assigned to
review the bill with Chairman Boehner to determine if it will be set
for hearing.
What you can do:
Please write to both Chairmen Boehner and Hyde
(addresses listed below). In your letters, please share your personal experience
and
tell them why you feel this bill should be
set for hearing.
Chairman John
Boehner
Committee of Education in the Workplace
1011 Longworth HOB
Washington, DC 20515
and to:
Chairman Henry Hyde
House International Committee
2170 Rayburn HOB
Washington, DC 20515
Congressman
Miller can be reached at:
Honorable George Miller
2205 Rayburn HOB
Washington, DC 20515
Tel: (202) 225-2095
E-mail:
george.miller@mail.house.gov
Click here
for the National Association of Therapeutic Schools and Programs (NATSAP's)
letter of June 1, 2005, to
Congressman Miller asking for their consideration. "We appreciate
the intent of the introduction of this legislation, but
are concerned the excellent work being done by a large number of
residential treatment programs will be impacted
negatively if their interests are not considered..."
ATTORNEY GENERAL ALBERTO GONZALES
 WASHINGTON -
President Bush's new attorney general says the Justice Department
may take a more active role in oversight of boot camp programs for
troubled teens.
The
comments by Alberto Gonzales (left) came in response to a question
submitted
by Rep. George Miller, D-Calif., the ranking Democrat on
the House Education and the
Workforce Committee. Miller has been
pressing the Justice Department unsuccessfully
to investigate
allegations of abuse at World Wide Association of Specialty Programs
(WWASP), a Utah-based chain of programs for at-risk teens.
“Mr. Gonzales'
comments suggest he will be more sensitive to this serious situation
than
the Justice Department has been to this point,” Miller said in
a statement. “I will be watching
carefully to ensure that he
fulfills the commitments he has made in response to these
questions.”
Click here
for the full article.
HOUSE OF
REPRESENTATIVES
April 14, 2005 - Bill HR 1672
Introduced - Rights for Abducted Children Act of 2005
click here
Representative Lynn Woolsey introduced Bill HR 1672 "Rights
for Abducted Children Act" on April 14, 2005. Children who are
victims of family abductions would be eligible for victim's
compensation and assistance. What about children who are abducted
and incarcerated into mental reprogramming facilities? It is our
belief that they, too, deserve such compensation once they are
released back into society, often times to fend for themselves. Some
suffer for many years, trying to recover and heal from their
emotional scars. Federal statutes:
International Parental
Kidnapping Crime Act The International Parental Kidnapping Crime
Act of 1993 makes it a federal crime to remove a child from the
United States or retain a child, who has been in the United States,
outside the United States with the intent to obstruct the lawful
exercise of parental rights.
Click
here for statutes.
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Montana
2007 - UPDATE
Senator Trudy Schmidt introduces
Senate Bill 288 -
click here;
News article -
click here
Montana Legislature - Detailed Bill
Information -
click here
Status of Senate Bill 288 -
click here
2007 Montana Legislature
Information -
click here
_______________
Panel to begin work regulating
youth homes -
click here
Proposed
Senate Bill 101, did not pass. For a copy of the bill,
click here.
House
Bill 628, passed. For a copy of the bill,
click here.
SB101
would have provided for governmental oversight while HB 628
will not. HB 628 will, in essence, provide program owners the
ability to self-regulate and is of great concern.
Click here
to learn more.
Senate Bill 101
Senator Trudi Schmidt sponsored
SB 101 in 2005 which would have
required residential facilities
for youth to be licensed and
regulated in the State of Montana. Unfortunately the bill did not pass.
Please send your letters showing your support
for future legislation in the state of Montana to Senator
Schmidt at
the address listed below:
Senator Trudi Schmidt
4029 6th Avenue South
Great Falls, MT 59405-3746
trudi@in-tch.com
House
Bill 628
HB 628 passed and
should be cause for concern. Section 1 of this bill indicates a
board will be chosen that will consist of five members appointed by
the governor with consent of the senate. Three of those members will
be chosen from a list of nominees provided by programs, and two from
the general public.
If three of the
nominees provided by programs all agree on issues regarding
licensure, they will have the majority vote, in essence giving them
the ability to self-regulate. In an industry where child abuse is
prevalent, self-regulation is not a positive solution for the
children at risk.
Click here for a copy of the bill.
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