THE PARENTAL GOVERNANCE & ACCOUNTABILITY ACT

​PREAMBLE: THE NECESSITY OF HOUSEHOLD GOVERNANCE

​Under this Act, your home will no longer be a crime scene because you choose to discipline your child. The stability of our Republic, the safety of our neighborhoods, and the health of our society rely upon the foundational integrity of the household. For generations, the systematic abdication of parental authority has resulted in the degradation of public order and a massive, unsustainable expansion of the "Nanny State." This state-driven interference has turned the simple act of parenting into a legal minefield. By weaponizing children against their own parents, the state has institutionalized negligence and turned the abandonment of discipline into a survival strategy for families terrified of government overreach.

​I am proposing this mandate to stop the state from harvesting children for budget increases, to restore the authority of the household, and to ensure that parents can exercise their duty without fear of bureaucratic retaliation.

​SEC. 1. THE MANDATE

​1. FINDINGS OF FACT

(a) A non-emancipated minor remains under the continuous, absolute authority and governance of their parents or legal guardians.

(b) The parent serves as the Principal; the minor acts as the Agent.

(c) Historical evidence shows that the state’s multi-decade interference in legitimate parental discipline—from the observational monitoring of the 1950s to the modern "management" of households—has actively degraded public order and incentivized household instability for the purpose of agency expansion.

​2. THE GOVERNANCE MANDATE

(a) Parental Responsibility: Parents/guardians are the sole authority figures responsible for the behavior and discipline of their non-emancipated children.

(b) Strict Liability: Any crime or unlawful act committed by a non-emancipated minor shall be imputed to the parent/guardian as a failure of oversight, except where the parent has actively exercised their right to govern the household or has triggered the State Reversion of Liability.

​3. SAFE HARBOR FOR DISCIPLINE & PARENTAL GOVERNANCE

(a) Exclusive Domain of the Parent: The governance, correction, and discipline of a non-emancipated minor are the exclusive rights and responsibilities of the parent. This includes, but is not limited to, corporal correction, physical restraint to prevent harm, restriction of movement, withholding of privileges, and the standard application of consequences for disrespectful or insubordinate behavior. These actions are within the sole purview of the parent and are not subject to state interference, investigation, or regulation.

(b) Neuterment of Bureaucratic Intervention: Any state agency, including the Division of Family Services (DFS), is stripped of authority to classify standard parental discipline—such as spanking, slapping, or other common methods of correction—as "abuse." Such classifications are a violation of parental sovereignty.

(c) Definition of Demonstrable Criminal Injury: The state’s authority to intervene is strictly limited to cases of verifiable, non-accidental criminal injury, defined exclusively as:

(i) Fractures of the skeletal system (excluding minor stress fractures or injuries resulting from normal childhood activity);

(ii) Permanent disfigurement or permanent impairment of physical function;

(iii) Internal hemorrhage or organ damage requiring emergency medical intervention;

(iv) Second-degree or higher chemical or thermal burns resulting from non-disciplinary, malicious intent.

(d) Burden of Proof for Intervention: In any rare instance where a state agency alleges criminal injury, the burden of proof shall be on the state to provide "clear and convincing" evidence of the injuries defined in subsection (c) before any investigation is initiated. Allegations of "emotional abuse," "excessive discipline," or "unreasonable punishment" are legally void and shall provide no basis for state action or the creation of a case file.

(e) Immunity for Governance: Parents acting within the scope of this section are fully immune from investigation, reporting, and prosecution. Any official who initiates an investigation based on standard discipline shall be deemed to be in violation of this Act and subject to immediate civil liability and termination of employment.

​4. DEFINITION OF UNLAWFUL ACTS

For the purposes of this Act, the term "unlawful act" shall be defined as any behavior that violates the public order, including:

(a) Public Disturbance and Obstruction.

(b) Property Offenses and Vandalism.

(c) Violent and Threatening Behavior.

(d) Retaliatory Reporting: The filing of a false or malicious report to state authorities by a minor specifically intended to evade parental discipline or retaliate against a parent for the exercise of their authority.

​5. THE PENALTY SCHEDULE

(a) First Offense: Upon the commission of a criminal or unlawful act by a minor, the parent/guardian shall be subject to an administrative fine of $5,000.

(b) Second Offense: Upon a second or subsequent act, the parent/guardian shall be subject to a $10,000 fine and a mandatory 10-day custodial sentence.

​6. RESTITUTION AND RECLAMATION

(a) Victim Restitution: Fine revenue shall prioritize full restitution to victims of the minor’s actions. Only after the victim is made whole shall any remaining funds be directed to the state as a penalty.

(b) Safe Harbor Exemption and State Reversion of Liability: A parent may petition for an exemption from criminal liability if they provide documented evidence that they formally requested state intervention, behavioral counseling, or psychiatric assistance for the minor due to uncontrollable behavior. If such request was submitted at least 60 days prior to the commission of the unlawful act and was subsequently denied, ignored, or left unaddressed by the state agency, the burden of liability for the minor's actions shall revert directly to the state agency. In such cases, the state—having been formally put on notice—assumes full responsibility for the minor's failure to conform to the public order.

​7. PROTECTION OF THE FAMILY UNIT

(a) Prohibition of Removal: The commission of an unlawful act shall never, in and of itself, be grounds for the removal of a child by state agencies.

(b) Presumption of Parental Integrity: Any investigation must overcome a legal presumption of parental integrity.

(c) Anti-Incentive Mandate: State agencies are strictly prohibited from using child removal or case file volume as metrics for budget increases. Any agency found to be harvesting children for funding shall be subject to immediate audit and federal intervention.

​John Dady

citizensagainsttyranny1776@gmail.com