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D I D Y O U K N O W ? Corporations VOTED to adopt this. Through ALEC, global companies
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work as “equals” in “unison” with politicians to write laws to govern your life. Big
MODEL LEGISLATION
TASK FORCES
ALEC INITIATIVES
PUBLICATIONS
Business has
“a VOICE and a VOTE,”
according
to newly exposed
documents. DO YOU?

EVENTS & MEETINGS

“ALEC”
NEWShas long been a
secretive collaboration
between
BigLegislation
Business and
Model
“conservative”
politicians.
Civil Justice
Behind closed doors, they
Commerce,
Insurance,
ghostwrite
“model”
bills to
and Economic
be introduced in state
Development
capitols across the country.
This agenda--underwritten
Education
by global corporations-Energy, Environment,
includes
major tax
and Agriculture
loopholes for big industries
and the
superRelations
rich,
Federal
proposals to offshore U.S.
Health and Human
jobs and
gut minimum
Services
wage, and efforts to
weaken
public health,
International
Relations
safety, and environmental
Public Safety and
protections.
Although many
Elections
of these bills have become
law, until
their Policy
origin
Tax now,
and Fiscal
has been largely unknown.
Telecommunications
With ALEC
EXPOSED, the
and Information
CenterTechnology
for Media and
Democracy hopes more
Americans will study the
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big corporations
are
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changing the legal rules
and undermining democracy
across the nation.

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Model Legislation

Public Safety and Elections Did you know the NRA--the

Parental Accountability Act
Summary

National Rifle Association-was the corporate co-chair in
2011?

This bill requires that the parent or guardian of a juvenile attend each court hearing or
proceeding unless the court excuses the parent or guardian for good cause shown.
Failure of the parent or guardian to appear shall not be considered grounds for
relief/adjournment, but may be grounds for contempt.

Model Legislation
Section 1. {Title} This Act shall be known as the Parental Accountability Act.
Section 2. {Model Legislation}
The parent or guardian of a juvenile who is within the court's jurisdiction1 shall attend
each hearing or proceeding unless the court excuses the parent or guardian for good
cause2 shown. A parent or guardian who fails to attend the juvenile's hearing without
good cause shown may be held in contempt and subject to fines.3 Failure of a parent or
guardian to attend a hearing is not, however, grounds for an adjournment, continuance,
or other delay of the proceeding and does not provide the basis for appellate or other
relief.

Section 3. {Severability Clause}
Section 4. {Repealer Clause}
Section 5. {Effective Date}
ENDNOTES
1 Cite statutory authority for jurisdiction of juvenile court or probate court.
2 Review appropriate state staute regarding parental notification in juvenile criminal
proceedings. If one exists, cite here. Otherwise, Act needs explicit definition of what shall
be considered "good cause."
3 In some states, a judicial finding of contempt might subject accuseds' parents to
incarceration.

ALEC’s’Corporate Board

ALEC's Sourcebook of American State Legislation 1996

--in recent past or present

• AT&T Services, Inc.
• centerpoint360
• UPS
• Bayer Corporation
• GlaxoSmithKline
• Energy Future Holdings
• Johnson & Johnson
• Coca-Cola Company
• PhRMA
• Kraft Foods, Inc.
• Coca-Cola Co.
• Pfizer Inc.
• Reed Elsevier, Inc.
• DIAGEO
• Peabody Energy
• Intuit, Inc.
• Koch Industries, Inc.
• ExxonMobil
• Verizon
• Reynolds American Inc.
• Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.
• Salt River Project
• Altria Client Services, Inc.
• American Bail Coalition
• State Farm Insurance
For more on these corporations,
search at www.SourceWatch.org.

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Center for Media
and Democracy's
quick summary

While encouraging parents to attend their child's trial is a good idea, this
model bill suggests why for-profit corporations should not be writing
sentencing and criminal justice laws. A sizeable percentage of juvenile
offenders do not have strong family structures (which may have
contributed to their delinquency), and this law apparently fails to
acknowledge that. This law will likely be unenforceable or, in the
alternative, will stick more people with more opportunities to have unpaid
fines. More laws do not mean less crime.