Call to Support SB110 in the Georgia Senate
Senate Bill 110 (SB 110), a bill to revise the definition of “neglect” to provide “reasonable childhood independence” for minors and protect the rights of their parents to give them this independence, is slated for a hearing in the Senate Children and Families Committee either this Tuesday (2/11) or next (2/18).
Introduced by Senator Jason Anavitarte, the measure would make clear that certain actions, like walking to school or riding a bike to a local park, playing in one’s yard, staying home alone (within reason), or waiting in a car on a comfortable day, do not constitute neglect. Parents will no longer be afraid to make these choices as their children grow older and begin to gain responsibility and independence.
This bill and another soon to be introduced in the House (no bill number yet) will combine to protect mothers like Brittany Patterson, who famously was arrested on October 30 when her almost eleven-year-old son walked to a store less than a mile from the family’s home. A passerby saw the boy alone, grossly underestimated his age, and called the authorities.
SB 110 would clarify that laws against neglect do not include reasonable choices many parents would make (if only they felt legally safe to do so) to let their growing children gain a sense of personal responsibility. This will save the State resources, as many fruitless investigations will no longer need to be opened.
And it will protect families by eliminating intrusions into the home that can lead to the separation of parent and child for frivolous reasons.
As it stands, SB 110 is in a favorable position, as some on the committee, including the chairman, are already cosponsors of the bill. So, while we invite you to contact the senators on the committee (especially if one is your senator), we encourage you to be positive and friendly. In the case of those marked as cosponsors below, you might even include a “Thank you for sponsoring this bill.”
So, please take just a moment now to reach out to the senators below and ask them in your own words to protect families by passing SB 110 to provide commonsense clarity to the definition of “neglect.”
Here’s the Step-by-Step:
- Click the link to the appropriate Senator(s) listed below.
- Input your contact information in the required fields.
- Under the "Your Message" section, select the issue your email relates to as option #5, Legislative Advocacy.
- Subject Line: Support SB 110
- Message – Provide a short (1-3 sentences) message supporting the bill and the concept of childhood independence. Nothing too complicated or detailed is required; a simple indication of support is sufficient.
Sen. Kay Kirkpatrick, MD (Chair) - co-sponsor
Sen. Jason Esteves - co-sponsor
Thank you for taking a moment today to support this important bill to protect children by empowering parents to make the best child-rearing decisions as their minor children grow older and more prepared to take on additional responsibilities.