Parents of Florida baby killed inside hot car fight to increase awareness with ‘Ariya’s Law’
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - A newly introduced measure aimed at preventing child deaths inside overheated vehicles is advancing in the Florida Senate, passing the Children, Family, and Elder Affairs Committee on Wednesday with unanimous support.
The bill, called "Ariya’s Law," is named after 10-month-old Ariya Paige. The baby was left inside a vehicle by a babysitter in Baker County and died from the July heat.
Senate Bill 554 would designate April as "Hot Car Death Prevention Month." It is intended to increase awareness about "the dangers of leaving children unattended in motor vehicles and how to prevent hot car deaths from occurring."
Ten-month-old Ariya Paige died after being left in a hot car.
Introduced by Republican senator Jennifer Bradley, the legislation would encourage certain agencies and local governments to sponsor public awareness events. Bradley said the bill was close to her heart, telling committee members she could not imagine what Ariya's family has endured.
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According to the text of the bill, prevention measures to be promoted include motor vehicle safety for children, criminal penalties associated with leaving a child unattended in a motor vehicle, and steps a bystander can take to rescue a child who is unattended in a motor vehicle and vulnerable or in imminent danger of suffering harm."
Rhonda Jewell is accused of leaving a 10-month-old baby in a car where she died. Mugshot is courtesy of the Baker County Sheriff's Office.
Florida leads the nation with its number of child heatstroke deaths since 1998 with 110 incidents reported. The state is second only to Texas, which has 143, according to a bill analysis. Of that statistic, seven of Florida's deaths occurred in 2023 alone.
The bill will now be decided upon in the Rules Committee before heading to the full Senate for a vote.