Two House of Representatives members, Rep. Charlie Crist and Rep. Nancy Mace, propose to pass a bill that will protect Britney Spears and others controlled by conservatorships Tuesday. The bipartisan bill is called "Free Britney Act" and will benefit anyone who is under a legal conservatorship or guardianship.
According to CNBC, Crist acknowledges the "unending nightmare" that comes with abusive conservatorships. He said in a statement that no one knows how many people are suffering from this legal agreement - being held captive against their own will and calling the guardianship system in the country "broken."
The representatives see the need for "federal safeguards to protect people under conservatorship from abuse and exploitation." If the bill is passed into law, it will let those controlled by conservatorships ask for a replacement for their court-appointed conservator with a public guardian who has no "financial conflicts of interest."
Currently, the court-appointed guardian could only be replaced if abuse or fraud could be proved in court. In addition, the bill would also give those controlled by conservatorships independent caseworkers, who would disclose their finances to make sure there would be no conflict of interest.
The caseworker would also see if there is any sign of abuse happening while in the conservatorship. The bill would also require the states to update their databases to provide the latest number of individuals under conservatorships or legal guardianships.
Spears is in a legal fight to end her conservatorship that has been going on since 2008 - calling it abusive, BBC noted. Her father, Jamie Spears, has put her under this agreement after filing for legal authority over his daughter's life with his growing concern about her mental health.
As her fight for freedom continues, the Princess of Pop has decided to stop performing until her dad handles everything about her life, from the clothes she wears to everything she says. Spears last performed publicly in 2008.
In a post on Instagram, the 39-year-old star said she would rather share videos from her living room instead of a big Las Vegas stage. She also addressed the emergence of documentaries about her life - saying she "did not like the way" it presented her life before by unearthing "humiliating moments" from her past.
Spears added she was "way past all that and had been for a long time." Anyhow, the documentaries about her like "Framing Britney Spears" and the #FreeBritney movement have helped to give wider attention to her conservatorship and even earn public support.
