Paris Hilton Hopes to Protect Minors From the Abuse She Faced as a Child With New Bill

Content warning: This article mentions topics some readers may find upsetting, including child abuse.

Time and time again, Paris Hilton has proven that she's more than just a superficial influencer and heiress to one of the biggest hotel chains in the world. Aside from being a mother and entrepreneur, she's also a bona fide activist, having introduced a successful bill that has been passed by both the House and Senate as of Dec. 18.

The bill, which is being called the Stop Institutional Child Abuse Act, is being driven by Hilton with the intention to protect minors from abuse in residential care facilities, like rehab. In the past, Hilton has been open about the poor treatment that she faced as a teen going to rehab, and she has made it her mission to save others from experiencing the same abuse.

Now, her bill is headed to President Biden's desk.

During her Congressional testimony back in June 2024, Hilton revealed just a portion of the trauma that she went through while living in care facilities as a teen. Per CBS, she shared that she "had been violently restrained, stripped of clothing, and tossed into solitary confinement, among other experiences."

For years, Hilton has advocated for the improved treatment of children and teens in residential treatment facilities — and the Stop Institutional Child Abuse Act has been her biggest win yet, with overwhelming bipartisan support.

In an Instagram post on Dec. 18, Hilton shared a heartfelt and empowering message: "Today is a day I will never forget. After years of sharing my story and advocating on Capitol Hill, the Stop Institutional Child Abuse Act has officially passed the U.S Congress."

"This moment is proof that our voices matter, that speaking out can spark change, and that no child should ever endure the horrors of abuse in silence," she continued. "I did this for the younger version of myself and the youth who were senselessly taken from us by the Troubled Teen Industry."

As for the bill itself, its goal is to "[establish] an interagency Federal Work Group on Youth Residential Programs to support and implement best practices regarding the health and safety, care, treatment, and appropriate placement of youth in youth residential programs," per the official Congressional summary.

It would also require the Department of Health and Human Services to communicate and collaborate with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to study and implement the most effective and safe methods for overseeing youth residential programs around the country.

Votes against the bill in the House of Representatives included Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, Andy Biggs and Paul Gosar of Arizona, Lauren Boebert of Colorado, and Byron Donalds of Florida, among a few others, per ABC.

It's unclear exactly when President Biden will review the bill, but his decision on whether or not to sign it into law could change what's known as the "troubled teen industry" forever.