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Singer Britney Spears attends the Billboard Music Awards at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Lester Cohen | BBMA2016 | Getty Images
Following Britney Spears’ battle to end her years of guardianship, two members of the House of Representatives proposed legislation to protect Spears and others under legal guardianship or guardianship.
Rep. Charlie Crist, D-Fla., And Rep. Nancy Mace, RS.C., introduced the bipartisan “Free Britney Act” on Tuesday.
The announcement comes a week after a judge ruled the 39-year-old pop star was allowed to hire his own lawyer to challenge his guardianship.
“Abusive guardianship can be a never-ending nightmare, and tragically we don’t know how many people are being held captive against their will under the broken guardianship system,” Crist said in a statement Tuesday. “We do know, however, that we need federal guarantees to protect those under guardianship from abuse and exploitation.”
If passed, the Free Britney Act would give people under guardianship or legal guardianship the right to request that their court-appointed private guardian be replaced by a public guardian “free from conflicts of financial interest”.
Current laws require individuals to prove in court that fraud or abuse has taken place in order for a guardian to be replaced.
The bill would also assign an independent social worker to those under guardianship or guardianship. The social worker would be required to disclose their finances to ensure there is no conflict of interest and would watch for signs of abuse in a guardianship.
According to the bill, states would also be required to provide an up-to-date database on the number of people under legal guardianship or guardianship.
Spears’ legal efforts to end her wardship gained momentum after the February release of the New York Times documentary “Framing Britney Spears.” The documentary focuses on the so-called Free Britney movement and its struggles under its court-ordered tutelage, which gave his father broad control over his life and finances after his approval in 2008.
An estimated 1.3 million adults in the United States are subject to similar restrictive provisions, according to the statement introducing the bill.
Guardianships appoint another person to manage the financial or personal decisions of a person deemed incapable of taking care of themselves. The provisions are generally used for people with mental instability or dementia.
Spears’ tutelage is remarkable considering how young he was when imposed and how long it lasted.
“In some cases, guardianship can deprive capable and innocent Americans of their money, their careers, and even basic human rights, such as the reproductive rights in the Spears case,” Mace said in a statement.
Spears began the process of removing his father from his guardianship last year, but his request was dismissed by the court. She claimed her father used the arrangement for personal gain, which he publicly denied.
At a hearing last month, Spears called the guardianship “abusive” and begged a judge to end the arrangement. She described how she was forced to perform and use birth control when she wanted a child.
On Tuesday, Mace thanked Spears for “his courage” in speaking about his guardianship experience and highlighting the abuses that can arise under such court-ordered arrangements.
“Britney Spears’ guardianship is a nightmare. If it can happen to him, it can happen to anyone. Conservatories undoubtedly protect countless vulnerable Americans from abuse, but Britney Spears’ case reveals a darker side to a system meant to protect people. Mace said in the statement.
Spears said in an Instagram post on Tuesday that she would continue to speak out against her guardianship.
“I will never be able to let go and move forward fully until I have said everything I had to say… and I’m not even close !!!!” she said.
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