Alec an Lydia Act - Safety from Filicide - HB 2995 - becomes law in Arizona.
Arizona recently passed HB 2995, known as the Alec and Lydia Act, a family court reform law that places greater emphasis on child safety whenever domestic violence is involved in custody and parenting-time cases. The legislation is named in memory of siblings Alec and Lydia Mater, who were tragically killed by their father in 2024 during a court-ordered custody arrangement.
The Alec and Lydia Act is the most significant overhaul of Arizona family court domestiviolence law in recent memory. It changes what judges must find, what they must write down, what they must presume, and what they can no longer ignore when domestic violence is present in a case involving children.
In May of 2024, a mother named Hope Hooton lost both of her children in the most devastating way a parent can lose a child. Her son Alec and her daughter Lydia were shot and killed by their father while he was exercising unsupervised parenting time with them after their divorce. He then took his own life.
What made the tragedy even harder to read about was the warning sign their father had been hospitalized for psychiatric issues. He had reported suicidal thoughts. He had reported homicidal thoughts. He had been granted unsupervised parenting time with his young children.
It is a remarkable story of this mom who took her personal pain and turned into it on purpose. She knew the law needed to be changed and she fought for that change. She testified. She showed up. She kept showing up. She told legislators what happened to her children and how the Arizona family court system had failed her children. She advocated for reform to protect children above all else.
She did this while carrying a grief that most of us cannot begin toim she did it because she believed that what happened to Alec and Lydia should never happen to another family.
She was right. She is to be honored and appreciated for this fight.
On June 22, 2026, Governor Katie Hobbs signed House Bill 2995 into law. It’s called the ALec and Lydia Law.
It does not bring Alec and Lydia back. Nothing does that. But it changed what happens in Arizona courtrooms from this day forward when a parent comes to court as a victim of domestic violence and needs protection for their child.
More about Hope:
Hope Hooton is a national child safety advocate, author, public speaker and the founder sand host of the Voices Against Filicide podcast. Dedicated to protecting vulnerable children and reforming the family court system, Hope has turned profound personal tragedy into a sweeping movement for institutional accountability.
Following the tragic loss of her two children, Alec and Lydia Mater, to an act of filicide—the intentional killing of a child by their own parent—Hope dedicated herself to exposing critical systemic failures. She was the driving force behind The Alec and Lydia Act (HB2995), a landmark piece of legislation addressing domestic violence, coercive control, and child safety in family courts, which was signed into law in June 2026 by Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs.
An accomplished voice in literature, Hope is also the author of theInternational #1 Bestselling memoir , There’s Still Hope: A Journey of Adversity, Tragedy, and Unshakable Faith, which has topped charts across multiple categories in five countries. Whether speaking on national stages, collaborating with protective organizations, or amplifying the stories of impacted families on her podcast to raise awareness and prevent these devastating crimes, Hope is a powerful force for resilience, faith, and legislative action.
To follow her advocacy, tune into her podcast, or connect with her community, follow her on social media at @Hopeinthepain.