Vote NO on Alabama’s HB229
Alabama’s HB229 is a bill that will have a significant impact on victims of domestic abuse and children. We are asking residents of Alabama to utilize the following template letter to contact your representatives. Click here to identify your representative.
If you are not a resident of Alabama, scroll to the very bottom for a template that you can use to let the representatives in Alabama know that the whole world is watching.
For residents of Alabama:
[Your Name]
[Your Address]
[City, State, ZIP]
[Your Email]
[Your Phone Number]
[Date]
The Honorable [Legislator's Name]
[Legislator’s Office Address]
[City, State, ZIP]
RE: Oppose HB229 – A Dangerous Custody Presumption That Harms Survivors and Children
Dear [Legislator's Name],
I am writing to urge you to oppose HB229, which would impose a presumption of 50/50 custody in Alabama family courts. While the bill claims to support children’s best interests, it removes judicial discretion, endangers survivors of domestic violence, and validates the discredited concept of “parental alienation.”
As a [survivor of domestic abuse / advocate / concerned citizen], I am deeply troubled by the impact this legislation would have on children exposed to domestic violence, coercive control, and high-conflict custody battles. By forcing an equal-time custody arrangement in most cases, HB229 places the burden on protective parents to prove why joint custody is unsafe—a nearly impossible standard to meet, especially for abuse survivors.
Why HB229 Harms Children and Survivors
1. It Strips Judges of Their Ability to Protect Children.
Courts already have the authority to grant joint custody when it is in the child’s best interest. Forcing a 50/50 presumption removes judicial discretion, ignoring the unique circumstances of each case—including safety risks, caregiving history, and the child’s emotional well-being.
2. It Endangers Survivors of Domestic Violence.
Studies show that 75% of contested custody cases involve domestic abuse. Abusers frequently use the legal system as a tool for continued control. This bill makes it even harder for protective parents to shield their children from harm by presuming that both parents should have equal access—even in cases with documented abuse.
3. It Validates the Discredited Theory of “Parental Alienation.”
One of the most troubling aspects of HB229 is its implicit endorsement of "parental alienation," a pseudoscientific concept that is widely used by abusers to regain custody. Courts often prioritize alienation claims over evidence of domestic violence or child maltreatment. Research shows that:
Fathers accused of abuse who counter-accuse the mother of alienation win custody 72% of the time—even when there is evidence of abuse. (Meier & Dickson, 2017)
Children are frequently placed with abusive parents due to alienation claims. One study estimates that 58,000 children per year are court-ordered into unsupervised contact with an abusive parent. (Leadership Council on Child Abuse & Interpersonal Violence, 2008)
Alienation claims disproportionately harm mothers, even when they are acting to protect their children.
HB229 will give abusers another weapon in their legal arsenal to claim that a protective parent is engaging in "alienation" simply for raising concerns about safety.
4. It Penalizes Protective Parents.
HB229 threatens survivors with financial penalties and court sanctions if they seek sole custody and fail to meet a high burden of proof. This will deter victims from seeking legal protections and force children into shared custody with an abusive parent.
5. It Ignores Scientific Research on Child Well-Being.
Research shows that children thrive not based on equal parenting time, but on stability, low parental conflict, and high-quality parenting. HB229 disregards this by mandating a one-size-fits-all solution that ignores pre-divorce caregiving roles, the child’s needs, and the dangers of exposing children to conflict and coercive control.
As your constituent, I strongly oppose HB229 because it puts children and survivors at risk while legitimizing junk science that has already harmed countless families. I respectfully urge you to vote against this dangerous legislation and instead support policies that protect Alabama’s children and survivors of abuse.
I look forward to hearing where you stand on this issue.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
[Your Name]
[Your Address]
[Your Email]
[Your Phone Number]
For those outside of Alabama:
Find legislators phone numbers and email addresses by clicking here.
[Your Name]
[Your Address]
[City, State, ZIP]
[Your Email]
[Your Phone Number]
[Date]
The Honorable [Legislator's Name]
[Legislator’s Office Address]
[City, State, ZIP]
RE: The World is Watching – HB229 is a Dangerous Precedent That Endangers Children
Dear [Legislator's Name],
Although I am not a resident of Alabama, I am writing to urge you to oppose HB229, a bill that has national and international implications for child safety, domestic abuse survivors, and the credibility of the Alabama legal system. This legislation is being closely watched across the country and beyond because it threatens to set a dangerous precedent that could undermine the safety of children nationwide.
I am a [advocate/survivor/legal professional/concerned citizen] who works to protect children and survivors of domestic abuse. HB229 removes judicial discretion, endangers survivors of domestic violence, and validates the discredited concept of "parental alienation"—a pseudoscientific theory that has been used to silence abuse victims and strip protective parents of custody.
Why HB229 is a National Crisis
It Normalizes Dangerous Custody Presumptions. Courts must be free to make case-by-case decisions that prioritize child safety. HB229 eliminates judicial discretion by forcing a 50/50 custody presumption, even when one parent is abusive. With the current laws in place, there is already a presumption of 50-50 custody.
It Endangers Survivors and Their Children. Research shows that 75% of contested custody cases involve domestic abuse. This bill places the burden on the protective parent to prove why joint custody is unsafe, making it even harder for survivors to keep their children safe.
It Codifies the Pseudoscience of “Parental Alienation.”
"Parental alienation" has been widely discredited by experts in child psychology and domestic violence.
Abusers frequently use false alienation claims to regain custody, even when there is clear evidence of domestic violence or child abuse.
58,000 children per year in the U.S. are placed in the custody of abusive parents due to courts prioritizing alienation claims over safety concerns. (Leadership Council on Child Abuse & Interpersonal Violence, 2008)
The National and International Community is Watching.
This bill puts Alabama in the national spotlight for the wrong reasons.
It sends a devastating message that Alabama does not protect survivors of domestic abuse.
The U.S. has already been criticized by international human rights organizations for failing to protect children in family courts—Alabama has a chance to lead in the right direction by rejecting this bill.
The Whole World is Watching
I urge you to oppose HB229 and ensure that Alabama does not become known as a state that turns its back on the most vulnerable members of our society.
Thank you for your time and consideration. The entire nation—and the world—is watching.
Sincerely,
[Your Name]
[Your Address]
[Your Email]
[Your Phone Number]
