Within the next few weeks, GAO will release a separate study looking at gaps in state and federal oversight at these camps, said Kay Brown, GAO direction of Education, Workforce and Income Security Issues. GAO found that Utah is home to more than 25 percent of registered wilderness programs in the United States.

Miller and Rep. Carolyn McCarthy, D-N.Y., head of the Healthy Families and Communities Subcommittee, call for more federal oversight in their bill, including unannounced site visits by the Health and Human Services Department at least once every two years, civil penalties of up to $50,000 per violation and allowing parents to sue in federal court if a program violates the law.

The bill prohibits any physical or mental abuse, prohibits unneeded physical restraint and would require emergency medical care plans. The bill also requires the programs to disclose the roles and responsibilities of all staff members, inform parents of any prior violations of child abuse or health and safety laws and give a Web site link to the Health and Human Services Department, which would maintain a database of all programs. It also would set up a hotline to report abuse.

"We have an obligation to keep kids safe no matter what setting they are in, and this legislation would take the first step toward finally ending the horrific abuses that have gone on for too long in private residential programs for teens," Miller said. "We know that there are many programs and many people around the country who are committed to helping improve the lives of young people and who do good work every day, but it is difficult for parents to tell the good programs from the bad."

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E-mail: suzanne@desnews.com