Michigan Senate passes new amendments strengthening 'Wyatt's Law'

Michigan Senate passes bill to strengthen Wyatt's law

Wyatt is 13 now. As he grows, so does the law. An amendment just passed the Senate. This would expand the registry to include manslaughter and criminal sexual conduct.

LANSING, Mich. (FOX 2) - Nearly four years after Wyatt’s Law was passed, new amendments designed to strengthen the existing law have passed through the Senate and is now heading to the House.

Big picture view:

FOX 2 first met Erica Hammel-McLaughlin in 2014 as she embarked on a years-long mission to give parents as much information as possible to protect their kids.

"You have this vision that you think is just a no-brainer, and you think it’s going to happen overnight like that. Then you realize there are so many steps to passing a law," she said.

Her son Wyatt was abused by his father’s girlfriend, a person with a history of child abuse. 

Wyatt is the namesake behind Wyatt’s Law, which passed in 2022.

"He is doing so well despite everything, but he has permanent brain damage, and now we are seeing it more than ever, his deficits, just how he is different from every other teenager," said Erica. "It’s tough. I know he is always going to need help the rest of his life, and he was born perfect and innocent, and someone took that away from him."

Dig deeper:

Wyatt is 13 and as he grows, so does the law. An amendment just passed the Michigan Senate which would expand the registry to include manslaughter and criminal sexual conduct.

"Like a child's death and making the language more clear about sexual abuse. Just making sure anyone who hurts a child is identified on this," Erica said.

While it’s hard to quantify how many times Wyatt’s Law has been used, there are times when Erica knows she has made a difference.

"I know what has been really cool is seeing it used in sentencing," said Erica. "Especially in Macomb County, our prosecutor has been using it a lot. It makes me really proud to see it there."

Erica has turned her crusade into a career and works at the Care House, a child advocacy center in Macomb County.