(INDIANAPOLIS) - The Indiana House of Representatives unanimously approved a bill Tuesday that would protect parents from child welfare investigations solely for allowing age-appropriate independence.
House members voted 93-0 to advance House Bill 1035 to the Senate.
The bill's author, Jake Teshka, said current law does not clearly state that children are not endangered simply by being unsupervised in appropriate situations.
House Bill 1035 defines "independent activity" to include walking or biking, playing outdoors, staying home alone, or remaining in a parked vehicle without direct supervision. Under the bill, parents could not be investigated by the Indiana Department of Child Services based only on those activities, unless a parent's actions were deemed reckless and dangerous based on a child's age, maturity, and ability.
The legislation now moves to the Indiana Senate for consideration.