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Celebrity and youth advocate Paris Hilton joined California lawmakers on Monday in favor of a bipartisan bill that aims to protect youth placed in treatment facilities licensed by the state.Senate Bill 1043, authored by several state senators, including Shannon Grove and Angelique Ashby, would require the state to create a dashboard to display data on the use of restraints and seclusion on youth at short-term residential therapeutic programs (STRTP) licensed by the California Department of Social Services.Grove, R-Bakersfield, said that this dashboard would detail the reasoning for actions taken against youth, when and where instances of restraints or seclusion occur, and if any injuries or deaths happened. The duration of time spent per instance of seclusion or restraint would also be required.The bill also would make it mandatory to report any time an involuntary emergency medication is used to control behavior, as defined by the State Department of State Hospitals, according to a bill analysis.Hilton, at the podium, described her own experiences and trauma in the troubled teen industry. She is also the CEO of 11:11 Media, a nonprofit she uses, along with her celebrity, to bring attention to both survivors and facilities accused of abusing youth.Hilton spoke of her support in bringing transparency to youth facilities, recalling moments when staff would rip her phone from her hands if she ever tried to report abuse to her parents. She would also often be confined afterward. She described living in a constant state of fear not knowing what would happen to her next.”If you are abusing children, I will find out. I will find you, and I will come with my huge spotlight and shine it on wherever you are because people aren’t going to get away with this anymore,” Hilton said, describing her experience of mistreatment disguised as therapy. “Enough is enough.” If the bill, also known as the Accountability in Children’s Treatment Act, passes, the dashboard would need to be available online by Jan. 1, 2026.”Knowing what these children have been through, we must increase transparency,” Grove said.Sens. Angelique Ashby, D-Sacramento, and Aisha Wahab, D-Hayward, are also lead authors of the bill. Both were present at the news conference. The Children’s Law Center of California is also in support of the bill.There are no listed opponents of the measure, according to the bill analysis.A hearing for the bill is set for 2:30 p.m. on Monday.See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. —
Celebrity and youth advocate Paris Hilton joined California lawmakers on Monday in favor of a bipartisan bill that aims to protect youth placed in treatment facilities licensed by the state.
Senate Bill 1043, authored by several state senators, including Shannon Grove and Angelique Ashby, would require the state to create a dashboard to display data on the use of restraints and seclusion on youth at short-term residential therapeutic programs (STRTP) licensed by the California Department of Social Services.
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Grove, R-Bakersfield, said that this dashboard would detail the reasoning for actions taken against youth, when and where instances of restraints or seclusion occur, and if any injuries or deaths happened. The duration of time spent per instance of seclusion or restraint would also be required.
The bill also would make it mandatory to report any time an involuntary emergency medication is used to control behavior, as defined by the State Department of State Hospitals, according to a bill analysis.
Hilton, at the podium, described her own experiences and trauma in the troubled teen industry. She is also the CEO of 11:11 Media, a nonprofit she uses, along with her celebrity, to bring attention to both survivors and facilities accused of abusing youth.
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Paris Hilton is here at the CA Capitol today.
She’s pushing a proposal that would require more transparency from residential teen therapeutic centers and their use of seclusion and restraint techniques (SB 1043).
She says these facilities thrive in secrecy. pic.twitter.com/8SQXgMBoG0
— Ashley Zavala (@ZavalaA) April 15, 2024
Hilton spoke of her support in bringing transparency to youth facilities, recalling moments when staff would rip her phone from her hands if she ever tried to report abuse to her parents. She would also often be confined afterward. She described living in a constant state of fear not knowing what would happen to her next.
“If you are abusing children, I will find out. I will find you, and I will come with my huge spotlight and shine it on wherever you are because people aren’t going to get away with this anymore,” Hilton said, describing her experience of mistreatment disguised as therapy. “Enough is enough.”
If the bill, also known as the Accountability in Children’s Treatment Act, passes, the dashboard would need to be available online by Jan. 1, 2026.
“Knowing what these children have been through, we must increase transparency,” Grove said.
Sens. Angelique Ashby, D-Sacramento, and Aisha Wahab, D-Hayward, are also lead authors of the bill. Both were present at the news conference.
The Children’s Law Center of California is also in support of the bill.
There are no listed opponents of the measure, according to the bill analysis.
A hearing for the bill is set for 2:30 p.m. on Monday.
See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app.