A panel of Utah lawmakers has approved a proposal aimed at ensuring parents aren't investigated for letting their kids do things like walk to school or play outside alone, known as free-range parenting.
The bill passed unanimously Tuesday would revise state law to say allowing mature kids to do things like travel to school or play outside isn't neglect if the children are otherwise well cared-for. It now moves to the Senate floor.
Republican sponsor Sen. Lincoln Fillmore told several stories of parents investigated and some who briefly lost custody after people reported seeing their kids playing basketball in their yards or walking to school alone. None happened in Utah.
Democratic Sen. Luz Escamilla says she's glad people report unsupervised children, though she said the official responses may have been overzealous.
