About six weeks ago, Halle Berry and Jennifer Garner testified in front of the California State Assembly on behalf of a new anti-paparazzi bill in their state. The bill would impose much stricter penalties on anyone who “seriously alarms, annoys, torments or terrorizes a child.” Both actresses told stories of their children being harassed by the paparazzi, with Garner saying that she didn’t want “a gang of shouting, arguing, lawbreaking photographers who camp out everywhere we are all day every day to continue traumatizing my kids.”

The bill has passed and was just signed into law by governor Jerry Brown. The children of celebrities and other public figures now have some much-needed protection against the paparazzi. Halle Berry issued a triumphant statement, and Sandra Bullock recently expressed her gratitude for the new law:

Beginning on Jan. 1, 2014, a paparazzo convicted of harassing a minor who has been singled out due to his or her parent’s profession (famous actors, singers, reality TV stars, politicians, etc.) can spend up to a year in jail — which is raised from six months previously. Fines can also be imposed, including $10,000 for the first violation, $20,000 for the second, and up to $30,000 for the third. The law also allows the parent or guardian of the child being harassed to seek civil liability.

“Kids shouldn’t be tabloid fodder nor the target of ongoing harassment,” Sen. Kevin de Leon of Los Angeles said, adding that the bill “will give children, no matter who their parent is, protection from harassers who go to extremes to turn a buck.”

Berry was joined by Jennifer Garner in August to testify before California lawmakers, claiming that photographers follow them around wherever they go and taunt their children. (Berry is married to fellow actor Olivier Martinez, while Garner is the wife of actor Ben Affleck).

“I am forever in awe of the support I got within my community from the enormously talented musician Adele to fellow actor, Jennifer Garner, who traveled with me to Sacramento to share her children’s stories, experience, and her desire to give them a better life,” Berry said in a statement. “I’m grateful to Nia Vardalos and the numerous parents who work as actors, musicians, as well as professionals in medicine, mental health, lawyers, judges, and cops who have experienced their children being harassed, tormented or otherwise put in dangerous situations due to their parent’s profession and therefore lent their support.”

“It is for all of us that I rejoice today and hope that this fight will continue and that the proper enforcement of this law will truly make a positive impact on the daily lives of all children,” she concluded.

Fellow actress and mom Sandra Bullock also spoke out about the bill, telling “Entertainment Tonight,” “It was passed! I didn’t know it was passed! Are you kidding? That is amazing! [Before] we [were] fair game, do whatever you want to us, it [was] almost like child slave labor, it shouldn’t be photographed and sold. Let them be kids, don’t let them live in fear. If they turn 18 and want to be an actor, they’ve dug their own grave on that one. [Halle Berry and Jennifer Garner] went out and fought hard for it, and we’re grateful.”

[From The Huffington Post]

It’s unclear what impact this will have on the celebrity family photos we see, but hopefully it will give the families, and especially their children, some peace. It’s outrageous to me that anyone would shout mean things to a child in order to get some kind of reaction for photos. Which celebrity do you think will try to enforce this law first? My money is on Halle, especially after she has her second child. She probably sought out this law hoping to spare her second baby from some of the things that Nahla has gone through. Plus her whole “moving to France” plan fell through.

photo credit: WENN.com