BURSTThe Stop Institutional Child Abuse Act, a youth welfare measure that has a vehement supporter in Paris Hilton, passed the House on Wednesday after unanimously clearing the Senate last week.
The legislation, which passed the House 367 to 33, now heads to President Biden's desk.
“Today is a day I will never forget. After years of sharing my story and advocating on Capitol Hill, the Stop Institutional Child Abuse Act has officially passed the U.S. Congress,” Hilton said in a post on social platform X. “This moment is proof that our voices matter, that speaking out can spark change, and that no child should ever endure the horrors of abuse in silence.”
Hilton was in Washington on Monday meeting with lawmakers about the bill, for which she also advocated in congressional testimony. In an open letter, she called on “every member of the House” to pass the bill, which is focused on youth congregate care facilities.
The reality TV star has frequently discussed her own experience in a teen treatment center in Utah.
"As a teenager, I was sent to youth residential treatment facilities where I endured abuse that no child should ever experience. I was physically restrained, sexually abused, isolated, overmedicated, and stripped of my dignity," she said in her open letter.
The bill will establish a Federal Work Group for youth residential programs that works to ensure facilities are implementing best practices for the health, safety and treatment of their participants. It will also support the education and training of professionals in the field and provide federal oversight about recommendations for the future.
On the House floor Wednesday, the legislation passed under suspension, receiving two-thirds majority support among lawmakers.
In a statement, Hilton said she never expected her platform to create such change, but she is committed to protecting children and amplifying the voice of survivors.
"I look forward to this bill being signed by President Biden and hope to celebrate this achievement at a bill signing," she said.