Urgent – Calls Needed to Oppose Federal Mandatory Reporting Bill
From Homeschool Legal Defense Association
Dear HSLDA Members and Friends,
Tomorrow, the U.S. Senate’s Subcommittee on Children and Families will hold a hearing on S. 1877, a bill that will require all adults to be mandatory reporters of child abuse and neglect. This bill will create a police-state reporting environment that will lead to baseless investigations of innocent families, and actually hurt at-risk children. HSLDA opposes this legislation for numerous reasons which you can read here.
Urgent calls are needed to the senators on the Subcommittee on Children and Families to oppose S. 1877. If either of your two U.S. senators are on the subcommittee, HSLDA urges you to call with some or all of the following message (there is no need to identify yourself as a homeschooler):
“I am concerned that S. 1877, which is scheduled for a committee hearing this Tuesday, will lead to privacy violations and allegations of abuse and neglect against innocent families because of the mandatory reporting requirement for all adults. Additionally, S. 1877 will greatly increase the federal government’s role in social services investigations, cluttering the system, and making it hard to find children who are truly at risk.”
Senators on the Subcommittee on Children and Families
| Barbara Mikulski (MD) Patty Murray (WA) Bernard Sanders (VT) Robert Casey (PA) Kay Hagan (NC) Jeff Merkley (OR) Al Franken (MN) Michael Bennet (CO) Richard Blumenthal (CT) Tom Harkin (IA) Richard Burr (NC) Lamar Alexander (TN) Johnny Isakson (GA) Rand Paul (KY) John McCain (AZ) Pat Roberts (KS) Mark Kirk (IL) Michael Enzi (WY) |
202-224-4654 202-224-2621 202-224-5141 202-224-6324 202-224-6342 202-224-3753 202-224-5641 202-224-5852 202-224-2823 202-224-3254 202-224-3154 202-224-4944 202-224-3643 202-224-4343 202-224-2235 202-224-4774 202-224-2854 202-224-3424 |
You may identify and contact your two U.S. senators using HSLDA’s Legislative Toolbox.
Please note that it is not necessary to call your senators if they are not on the list above; however, it will not hurt to send them an email or letter sharing your concerns about S. 1877.
Background
Pennsylvania Senator Bob Casey and California Senator Barbara Boxer introduced S. 1877: “Speak Up to Protect Every Abused Kid Act” in response to the tragic occurrences at Penn State University. Unfortunately, S. 1877 will lead to greater federal involvement in social services investigations, which we believe will hurt innocent families and make it even harder for social services agencies to find and help truly at-risk children. Additionally, the federal requirement that every single American adult act as a mandatory reporter will create a police-state environment of reporting on friends, family, and neighbors.
We encourage you to read our detailed review of S. 1877 available here and then forward this e-lert to your friends and family and have them also call their U.S. senators if they serve on the Subcommittee on Children and Families.
Thank you for standing with us for liberty. It is only through your action that we will be able to continue to protect the right of innocent parents to direct the education and upbringing of their children without the fear of baseless investigations into their children and family.
Very truly yours,
J. Michael Smith, Esq.
President, HSLDA.
