On April 27, congressional members introduced the federal, bipartisan Stop Institutional Child Abuse Act to regulate treatment centers for children. Paris Hilton, along with other survivors who faced abuse in youth treatment centers, spoke in favor of the bill in front of Capitol Hill. In her speech, per The Hill, Hilton said, "When I attempted to tell my parents about the abuse on the phone, staff would stop and immediately hang up the phone and punish me. On top of this, you had no access to the outside doors, no sunlight, no fresh air. ... What I went through will haunt me for the rest of my life."
A 2021 report by the National Disability Rights Network investigated for-profit residential facilities for children in 18 states and found widespread abuse. Senator Jeff Merkley, one of the bill's sponsors, told Business Insider that the objective of the bill is information-gathering on treatment center programs' operational procedures. Based on the findings, recommendations can be made regarding regulations.
Representative Ro Khanna told The Hill that Paris Hilton and her mother "came in three years ago ... and they said 'We actually want to get legislation done.'" Khanna added that they met for several months with an advocacy organization and congressional members.
