Marsha's Law

Marsha’s Law — Maximum Sentences for Authority-Figure Abuse

Rationale:

Children deserve the strongest possible protections. Abuse committed by someone in a position of power—teachers, coaches, guardians, clergy, or mentors—is a profound violation of trust.

Legislative Plan:

• Mandate maximum sentencing for individuals in positions of authority who are convicted of abusing a child under their protection.

• Expand definitions of “position of authority” to ensure broad coverage.

• Require cross-agency reporting and information sharing when accusations arise.

Tightening Oversight of Child Protective Services

Rationale:

Georgia’s child protective system must operate with strong oversight, accountability, and transparency to prevent failures that endanger children.

Legislative Plan:

• Strengthen independent oversight of DFCS case handling and investigations.

• Require periodic performance audits, response-time metrics, and quality-control reviews.

• Increase training standards for caseworkers and investigators.

• Improve communication between CPS, schools, and local law enforcement.

  
  

Why It Matters:

Protecting children is one of the highest responsibilities of state government. Families deserve a system they can trust.