Congress has passed the Stop Institutional Child Abuse Act (H.R. 2995/S. 1351) in a decisive 373-33 vote, marking a significant step toward reforming youth residential treatment facilities where systemic failures have allowed abuse and neglect to persist. The bill now heads to President Biden’s desk for signature.
The bipartisan legislation, introduced by Reps. Ro Khanna (D-CA) and Earl “Buddy” Carter (R-GA), along with Sens. Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and John Cornyn (R-TX), aims to address long-standing issues within facilities designed to care for children with serious emotional and behavioral health disorders. These facilities receive substantial federal funding through Medicaid, the child welfare system, and private health insurance.
The First Focus Campaign for Children, a child advocacy group, has long supported the bill. Its president, Bruce Lesley, praised Congress for taking this step.
“We are pleased to see Congress take action to protect children in residential treatment facilities by passing the Stop Institutional Child Abuse Act. The impact of this systemic neglect and abuse on children is profound and long-lasting, and it must not be tolerated,” Lesley said. “Congress has taken a critical first step that will shed light on the practices of these facilities and prevent future abuse.”
The bill follows a two-year Senate Finance Committee investigation led by Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR), which uncovered pervasive instances of abuse reported by youth in residential care. The Stop Institutional Child Abuse Act establishes an interagency Federal Work Group on Youth Residential Programs to implement best practices and improve oversight. It also recommends the creation of a national database to track the treatment of youth in these facilities.
Additionally, the bill mandates a study by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine on the use of restraints, seclusion, and other restrictive interventions in youth residential programs.
Advocates argue that the legislation is a crucial first step in ensuring the safety and well-being of vulnerable children and hope it will drive further reforms to hold facilities accountable.
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