Wyatt's Law which would create registry for child abuse offenders passes Michigan Senate

LANSING, Mich. (FOX 2) - Almost a year and a half ago, Erica Hammel said good legislation takes time.

Now, on the cusp of seven years of work paying off, the mother and advocate of Wyatt's Law, which would create a searchable registry for suspects convicted of child abuse, may finally see her bill pass.

Wyatt refers to Hammel's son who was a victim of abuse that caused irreparable brain damage at the hands of a previously convicted child abuser. The abuser, a woman who cared for him in 2013, had a prior child abuse conviction that Hammel was unaware of. 

Since then, she's lobbied hard for the bill's approval. 

On Wednesday, the state Senate passed the bill with unanimous approval. HB 5276 as it's known in the legislature had already passed the Michigan House by a unanimous vote in December 2021.

The public list would include very basic information about those convicted of child abuse crimes, like their name, birthday, city, and county. It would also add to another registry with limited availability maintained by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. 

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There were previous concerns the bill would fail in its intended use by flooding the registry with too many names. 

Erica Hammel's son Wyatt suffered brain trauma after abuse from her ex-husband's girlfriend. 

Lawmakers worked with Child Protective Services and the Attorney General to devise a solution that allows for an expungement process. The reformed registry would only include individuals who pose a danger to children based on certain previous acts. 

The package of bills includes nine separate laws that will be voted on.