State Rep Dickie Drake partnered with the Children First Foundation to create and pass the Savannah Hardin bill due to recent child abuse cases such as the rapes that Jerry Sandusky,  former coach at Penn State was found guilty of, and the child abuse and murder charges that Savannah Hardin’s grandmother Joyce Hardin Garrard and the girl’s stepmother, Jessica Hardin. The bill is named after nine-year-old Savannah Hardin of Etowah County, who was allegedly run to death by her grandmother as her stepmother stood by.

Both the Savannah Hardin case and the sexual abuse of Sandusky could have been prevented if people had been obliged to come forward about what they knew was happening. Any Alabama citizen who suspects or has knowledge of child abuse and neglect report it to the Department of Human Resources or law enforcement.

 This takes the reporting law that Alabama has in place now a step farther. Section 26-14-3. Mandatory reporting states that: All hospitals, clinics, sanitariums, doctors, physicians, surgeons, medical examiners, coroners, dentists, osteopaths, optometrists, chiropractors, podiatrists, nurses, school teachers and officials, peace officers, law enforcement officials, pharmacists, social workers, day care workers or employees, mental health professionals, members of the clergy as defined in Rule 505 of the Alabama Rules of Evidence, or any other person called upon to render aid or medical assistance to any child, when the child is known or suspected to be a victim of child abuse or neglect, shall be required to report or cause a report to be made of the same, orally, either by telephone or direct communication immediately, followed by a written report, to a duly constituted authority.

Drake commented “The bill will empower anyone who even suspects child abuse.  I’d rather have 100 charges filed and not have a real problem then none filed and more kids getting hurt.” Currently there are 18 other states with similar laws in place and they are seeing positive results from it.