STARK 2030

Purpose

The STARK Act of 2030, or Swift Treatment and Accountability for Reported Kidnapping and Abuse ensures that every report of suspected child abuse or sex trafficking is treated with urgency and action. Across the country, too many towns, cities, school districts, counties, and agencies ignore, suppress, or mishandle these reports. In some instances, the very institutions tasked with protecting children are complicit. This legislation aims to break the silence, expose the negligence, and hold every public entity accountable for protecting our most vulnerable citizens.

Key Provisions

Every report of suspected child abuse or sex trafficking must be reported within 48 hours to state and federal authorities.
The individual or agency who filed the report must be contacted within 24 hours to confirm the report was received and is being investigated.
Survivors must be offered access to therapy, food, shelter, and community-based support programs that are fully staffed and state-subsidized.
Legal charges must be pursued against the accused if the survivor chooses to press charges.
Schools and local agencies must cooperate fully with federal investigators and maintain transparent records of abuse reports and case status.

Enforcement measures

Any town, city, school district, county, department, or agency that fails to comply will be placed under federal investigation by the Department of Justice. These investigations will be mandatory and initiated within 7 days of a formal complaint or verified report of noncompliance.

Funding Penalties

Entities that fail to act within the required timeline will face immediate suspension of select federal funding until full compliance is verified. Repeat offenders will be disqualified from federal grants related to education, child services, and law enforcement support for a minimum of 6 months.

Criminal and Administrative Accountability

Officials and employees who ignore, suppress, or tamper with abuse reports may face felony charges. Administrative consequences include immediate suspension, termination, and permanent disqualification from working in any publicly funded agency or school district.

Federal Coordination

The Department of Justice shall coordinate with the following federal entities:

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
The Department of Education (DOE)
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)

to ensure compliance, conduct thorough investigations, and submit annual reports to Congress regarding findings and enforcement actions. Failure to investigate or act upon substantiated reports shall be deemed a violation of the individual’s civil rights under federal law.

Intended Impact

This legislation is written for the survivors who were ignored. For the kids who were failed by systems designed to protect them. It aims to put an end to negligence, restore public trust, and ensure that no victim is ever again dismissed or discarded. And for those institutions that thought they could get away with it? I remember it all too well.

Learn about my story.