Email Today to Support “The Brittany Patterson Act” in Georgia

House Bill 552 (HB 552), “The Brittany Patterson Act,” has been introduced in the Georgia legislature and assigned to the House Committee on Judiciary Justice. Today, I am asking for your help to move this bill forward in committee.

On October 30, 2024, Brittany Patterson was arrested when her almost-eleven-year-old-son was found walking home from a store less than a mile from her home. Patterson was charged with Misdemeanor Reckless Conduct because she left home not knowing exactly where her son was.

It is significant to note that the Pattersons live in a rural area (the town’s total population is 340) and wandering the woods around their home is a normal part of life for her children beyond a certain age, including this son. No evidence was ever presented or alleged that the boy was in danger at any time during his walk to the store.

Not surprisingly, the charges against Brittany were ultimately dropped, but not before the Department of Family & Children Services intruded on this family’s privacy.

What the Bill Does

To prevent other families from suffering all that the Pattersons have, HB 552 would tighten up Georgia law by excluding from the state’s definition of neglect any “actions or decisions by a parent or guardian, acting in good faith, that allow a child to engage in independent activities consistent with the child’s intellectual, emotional, and physical maturity.”

The language is based on a model prepared by the Parental Rights Foundation and our friends at LetGrow, and edited for Georgia by Patterson’s attorney, David DeLugas, Executive Director and General Counsel of National Association of Parents. It was introduced in the House by Representatives Kahaian, Byrd, and Tran.

The bill further provides that “no parent or guardian shall be detained, arrested, or charged criminally…if [they are] incompliance with [this Act] or if a minor child appears to be alone or unsupervised by an adult unless that child also appears to be injured, in distress, or in imminent risk of significant injury or other harm from an identifiable source.” The mere idea that, vaguely, “anything could happen” will no longer be a crime!

Take Action Now

To promote the bill, please take a moment today to reach out to the members of the House Committee on Juvenile Justice and ask them to grant the bill a hearing and then vote it out of committee. Time is short, so they need to hear from you today!

You can find the committee members here: https://www.legis.ga.gov/committees/house/203?session=1033

If one of these is your lawmaker, please email them, identify yourself as a constituent (or one who lives in their district, if you prefer), and ask them to support House Bill 552, the Brittany Patterson Act. For best effect, also cc the other members of the committee.

If none of these is your lawmaker, please email the entire committee (or as many of them as you can) in a single email, asking them for the good of all Georgia families to support House Bill 552, the Brittany Patterson Act.

Then, if time permits, take a moment to email your own state Representative as well, and ask them to vote to protect children by empowering parents by voting in favor of HB 552 when it comes out of committee to the floor of the House.

Conclusion

Parents should never face arrest or child welfare investigations simply for giving their children increased, reasonable independence as they mature. Thank you for taking a moment today to make your voice heard.

Together, we can make Brittany Patterson the last parent in Georgia to ever have to face this legal nightmare.