Erin's Law Gets Federal Funding

Today the US Senate passed the federal bill on Erin's Law which will now fund Erin's Law throughout the country. A HUGE victory in my mission to pass this in all 50 states. 24 to go! 

President Obama is set to sign it tomorrow.

Julianna Margolies, Erin Merryn

My biggest battle when I go state to state testifying to legislators is them being against the bill because it is an unfunded mandate. That is no longer the case and it is going to significantly speed up the process in the remaining states. 

How did this victory today happen? 3 years ago I received a call from editor in chief at Glamour Magazine telling me they had picked me to be one of their Women of the Year for my work on Erin's Law. At the time it was passed in 3 states. I was honored in New York City in Carnegie Hall and I got to pick anyone I wanted to present me the award. I went with actress Julianna Margulies known these days for her show The Good Wife on CBS. 

As a kid I always watched her on ER on Thursday nights. Julianna became a strong advocate for Erin's Law since we met and told me she wanted to help me in any way possible with Erin's Law. She stuck to her word. In October 2014 she met with Senator Gillibrand of New York and told her about Erin's Law. In a New York Times article from October 2014 Senator Gillibrand told Julianna she wants to help with the law and would work together to make that happen.

Over the course of the past year I have worked with Senator Gillibrand's office. While we tried to look into federal mandate on the law we learned it must be passed state to state but when I told them my biggest challenge faced in passing it in each state not being funded Senator Gillibrand took action that was met with victory today with the passage of SB1117.

Never did I imagine three years ago when I was named Glamour Magazine Woman of the Year it would result in the federal bill of Erin's Law being passed. I have to give a big thank you to Julianna Margulies, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand U.S. Senator Dean Heller Senator Dianne Feinstein who all introduced Erin's Law on the federal level.

Along with Glamour Magazine for helping my mission to protect kids by bringing awareness to Erin's Law. We still have work to be done 24 states remaining New York is one of them. Julianna and I will have another reason to celebrate when it passes there in her home state. I have included a photo of the night I met Julianna at the Glamour awards and a text message I received tonight from her. Tomorrow President Obama will sign SB1117.

This is a huge victory to help protect children from abuse and put sex offenders out of business. I have been at this for 5 years and I will spend as many years as it takes to pass it in every state. It will get done.

Thank you to all my supporters who stand behind this mission I am on.

Congratulations, Erin. Amazing step. The remaining 24 states should fall in line inn very short order. You're still my hero of the decade. God bless you.