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It’s no longer a crime in Utah to let your kids play outside alone

Posted at 2:37 PM, Mar 16, 2018
and last updated 2018-03-16 16:37:14-04

SALT LAKE CITY — It’s no longer a crime in Utah to allow your children to play outside unsupervised, or walk home alone from school.

Governor Gary Herbert signed Senate Bill 65 into law on Friday. Dubbed the “Free Range Kids” bill, Sen. Lincoln Fillmore, R-South Jordan, modified Utah’s child neglect law to remove the threat of prosecution.

“Free range kids” is a pushback on “helicopter parents” and the concept that children are constantly in danger. Even though Utah’s Division of Child and Family Services had said it never went after parents for it, Sen. Fillmore said he had heard from some who were worried.