Paris Hilton said she was shopping at Saks Fifth Avenue in New York City last week when she heard that the Stop Institutional Child Abuse Act — legislation she has lobbied tirelessly for the past three years — had been unanimously passed by the US Senate.
The high-profile hotel heiress told ABC News she was with her sister “doing little girl, sister holiday shopping” when she got a FaceTime call with an update on the bill, which would put more federal protections into youth treatment programs. achieved the first major milestone of the legislature.
For years, Hilton has been a public advocate for reforming care facilities and residential treatment programs for “disturbed” juveniles. He describes his traumatic experience as a teenager at Utah’s Provo Canyon School.
“We were all crying, in tears, so proud and so happy, and it’s just the whole survivor community — everyone is so grateful and so happy, and they feel so validated that they’re listening.” the entrepreneur, DJ, model and actress told ABC News about her reaction to the Senate passage of the bill on Wednesday.
In this April 27, 2023, file photo, Paris Hilton speaks to reporters as she heads to Capitol Hill to press Congress to pass the Institutional Child Abuse Act.
Aaron Schwartz/SOPA Images via Sipa USA via AP, FILE
Now, with the 118th Congress just a week away, Hilton is urging House leaders to prioritize the measure and bring it to a vote “immediately.”
“We’re all hoping and praying they’ll do the right thing,” said Hilton, who returns to Washington, D.C., on Monday to meet with House members.
“I really hope, you know, that we don’t leave politics to save children’s lives. This is very urgent because the Chamber of Deputies must pass this bill before the end of this year’s session next week, otherwise the bill will die. We should do it all again.”
In this April 27, 2023 file photo, Paris Hilton shakes hands with Senator Jeff Merkley during a press conference outside the Capitol building in Washington, DC.
Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images, FILE
ABC News did not receive a response from Speaker Mike Johnson in the final week of the session on whether he would consider bringing the legislation to a vote. The legislation — which would normally have to go through the House Energy and Commerce committee before leaders call the table — can be rushed through by bypassing that step, according to a source familiar with committee business.
“When the U.S. Senate met in a rare show of unity on Wednesday, December 11th to unanimously pass the Institutional Child Abuse Act, it was one of the best moments of my life. It was proof that when we listen to survivors and put policy in place, real, meaningful change can happen. We can. But this journey isn’t over until this bill becomes law, and it’s now up to the US House of Representatives to finish what the Senate started,” Hilton wrote on Monday. in an open letter shared on his Instagram page.
“To Leader Scalise, Speaker Johnson, and all members of the House: I ask you to think of the children who cannot speak for themselves. They rely on us, you, to stand up for their safety and dignity. Passing this bill would be a testament to what we can achieve when we lead with empathy and courage.” .
Hilton has traveled to Washington every six to 10 months starting in October 2021, according to her spokesman, each time she has asked Congress to reform residential treatment facilities for young people.
He has met individually with members like Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, who thank you After Hilton passed the bill last week for his work on the issue, and Sens. Chuck Grassley of Iowa and Tim Scott of South Carolina. Republicans like
Some of its biggest advocates have been the bill’s sponsors: Sens. Jeff Merkley, Ore., and Sens. John Cornyn, Texas, along with Ro Khanna, R-Calif., Hilton said.
“The lack of oversight and transparency in residential youth programs has for too long allowed the abuse of children in facilities across the country,” Cornyn said after passing the bill.
“I am proud that the Senate unanimously passed this legislation to ensure that vulnerable children in these facilities are protected, and I want to thank the many advocates who have bravely shared their stories to help end institutional child abuse.”
Hilton also testified before the House Ways and Means Committee in June, and spoke emotionally about her experience at Provo Canyon School as a teenager.
In this May 10, 2022 file photo, Paris Hilton poses outside the White House in Washington, DC.
Shutterstock, FILE
“These programs promised healing, growth, and support, but instead, I was not allowed to speak, move freely, or look out the window for two years,” she testified in 2023. the workers They violently grabbed me and dragged me through the corridors, stripped me and threw me into solitary confinement.
In September 2022, The Provo, Utah school said in a statement to ABC that Hilton had changed ownership shortly after he was there and could not comment on the situation, but that he did not “endorse or promote any abuse”. comment
Hilton has gone to the White House to advocate for child welfare, meeting with policymakers in May 2022. If the bill passes the House this week, it would land on President Joe Biden’s desk for signature before the end of his term. . Hilton and his team expressed confidence in the president’s willingness to sign the measure.
“We’ve had some conversations with the White House about the bill in the past, and we see no reason they won’t sign it into law,” a Hilton spokeswoman said.
The Society began its push for congregational care reform in 2021 when it came to Washington in support of a similar measure, the Federal Caregiver Account Act, another bill introduced in October 2021. the head Khanna, Merkley, Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., and then Rep. Adam Schiff, American from California.
Ahead of her 2021 visit, Hilton spoke about her 11-month experience at the Provo Canyon school in the 2020 documentary “This is Paris” and in a Washington Post op-ed. opinion ed.
Hilton told ABC News that the lobbying process has been painful but cathartic.
“It’s been a lot of work… it’s not easy to talk about so many painful and traumatic things, but I know it’s very important to be able to have a voice for those who don’t, and I’m very important. I’m grateful to be able to use my platform and my voice in the name of treatment so that no more children are traumatized,” Hilton said.
“And it’s been a very healing experience to see the impact it’s had … it’s been incredibly healing and cathartic.”
Hilton is in New York with friend and “The Simple Life” co-star Nicole Richie to promote the reboot of her flagship show, but said her work on issues related to the troubled teen industry was her most meaningful work.
“I’m so proud of so many things in my life, but the work — the advocacy work I do to protect children — is what I’m most proud of, and this is what I want my legacy to be,” Hilton said.
If the bill doesn’t pass this session, Hilton said she will continue to fight for the issue.
“I will not stop fighting until change is made. This is my mission for the rest of my life and I truly believe it is my true purpose in life. I will not stop fighting for these children and being their voice.”
