Reps. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) and Charlie Crist (D-Fla.) introduced a house bill to protect those under conservatorships and guardianships, in aims to also provide aid to Britney Spears’ fight against her conservatorship.
The Freedom and Right to Emancipate from Exploitation Act, or FREE Act, gives a person under legal guardianship or conservatorship the right to petition to replace their guardian with a public guardian, according to CNN.
Also known as the “Free Britney Act,” the bill notes that Spears has unsuccessfully petitioned to remove her father as her conservator.
The legislation asserts that Spears has been deprived of her 14th Amendment right to due process, indicating a present need for action.
“The inability of Britney Spears to free herself from her father’s control, indicate that State guardianship and conservatorship systems can deprive a United States citizen or resident of liberty and property without due process,” the bill states.
The proposal also requires that case workers and public guardians disclose financial records in order to avoid conflicts of interest.
“Under the FREE Act, we would Free Britney along with the countless number of seniors and persons with disabilities being abused and exploited by the broken system,” Crist said in a statement.
“Her situation is a nightmare,” Mace said, sharing in the concern for Spears. “If it can happen to Britney Spears, it can happen to anyone in this country.”
Mace and Crist are not the only members of Congress to show their public support for the “Free Britney” campaign.
Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) also attended a “Free Britney” rally last week in support of the pop star, according to Variety.
“She’s been abused by the media. She’s been abused by her grifter father. And she has been abused by the American justice system,” he said. “And so we need to come together and create a federal cause of action — a federal change in the law that will free Britney.”