Washington, D.C. — Rep. Lucy McBath (D-Marietta) has introduced legislation to establish a national hotline to help prevent child abuse and neglect. The bill, H.R.566, is part of the Stronger Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (Stronger CAPTA).

“Our children are our future, and it’s our responsibility to ensure that they are able to live, learn, and grow up in a safe environment. I was proud to introduce this important legislation to provide children and parents with resources to help identify and end child abuse,” McBath said. “Our Stronger CAPTA package is an important and necessary step toward protecting our nation’s children, building upon the original law, and providing evidence-based support for victims of child abuse and neglect.”

This legislation strengthens the original CAPTA law by providing evidence-based support for victims of child abuse and neglect, establishing national reporting requirements, expanding research, and improving the process to apply for federal grants. The amendment is co-led by Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY). Both are members of the Committee on Education and Labor.