Paris Hilton calls for House passage of 'Stop Institutional Child Abuse Act' following Senate's approval.

Paris Hilton, an American media personality and businesswoman, will visit Capitol Hill on Monday to advocate for the passage of the Stop Institutional Child Abuse Act by the GOP-led House. She has been lobbying for this bill for the past three years.

The bill cleared the Senate unanimously last week.

Hilton was "in tears" when the bill passed the upper chamber on Wednesday, calling it "such a monumental moment" for herself and her allies.

Hilton expressed pride that all senators acknowledged the urgency of the issue and backed something she had worked diligently for.

The bill, backed by 23 lawmakers including Senators John Cornyn and Tommy Tuberville, aims to reform residential youth facilities for troubled kids.

The bill must be passed by the House before the session ends this week, or it will have to be reconsidered by both houses when the new Congress convenes in early January.

"Hilton emphasized the importance of the bill, stating that without regulation, people are getting away with wrongdoing. The bill aims to increase transparency by collecting data on individuals' behavior, allowing for better identification of good and bad actors."

"The U.S. Senate's unanimous passing of the Stop Institutional Child Abuse Act on December 11th was a significant moment for the writer. It demonstrated that when we prioritize the voices of survivors and set aside politics, we can bring about real, impactful change. However, the writer emphasized that the fight is not over yet. They can only truly celebrate once the bill is passed by the U.S. House of Representatives and completes the work started by the Senate."

Since the bill's inception, Hilton has been an advocate. In a New York Times video op-ed series last year, she claimed to have been a victim of sexual abuse as a teenager in the 1990s while attending a boarding school in Utah.

She claimed to have been kidnapped by two men and taken to a congregate-care facility as a 16-year-old misbehaving teenager, with the approval of her parents.

In 2020, Hilton shared her emotional and traumatizing experiences as a teenager in these centers with the House Ways and Means Committee.

"In an open letter to House lawmakers, Hilton recounted her experience as a teenager being sent to youth residential treatment facilities where she suffered abuse. She was physically restrained, sexually abused, isolated, overmedicated, and stripped of her dignity. She was told she didn't matter, that she was the problem, and that no one would believe her if she spoke up—not even her family. For years, she lived with the weight of that trauma, the nightmares, and the shame. It wasn't until she found her voice that she began to heal."

Cornyn stated that the lack of oversight and transparency in residential youth programs has allowed for the abuse of children in facilities across the country for far too long.

"The Senate unanimously passed legislation to safeguard vulnerable children in institutions, and I commend the many advocates who have bravely shared their stories to help put an end to institutional child abuse."