Oregon Public Broadcasting

A committee of state lawmakers in Olympia approved a bill Friday aimed at keeping convicted child abusers from supervising children.

The proposal would bar anyone convicted of first degree child assault from babysitting while on parole or probation.

The bill known as “Eryk’s Law” is named for Rachel Pierce’s son Eryk. She doesn’t want the man who severely beat her infant allowed anywhere near children.

Rachel Pierce: “He had a fractured jaw. He had both of his forearms in his right arm broken. He had six fractured ribs. He had retinal hemorrhaging because the pressure in his brain was so immense, it was pushing his eyes out of his head. He was beat so badly, the doctors expected him to die.”

The bill was almost shelved earlier in the legislative session. But a bipartisan group of lawmakers resurrected it.

It now heads to the floor of the House for a vote.