Dialog of US House on HR 4472 on
There are no comments made to portions of HR 4472 which do
not affect sex offenders or their issues, nor should anything be inferred by
the absence of comments with respect to those portions. eAdvocate
General comments, many are important.
Bills which
never were debated in the
New or Excessive Punishments.
Actions of a singular person, entity or group and are
not reviewable by any tribunal!
Questionable comments, in a factual or logical
sense, or are factoids.
Reasons why hate crimes bills
were removed from HR 4472. Hate crime descriptions, could long term include registered sex
offenders.
Additional Notes
& Comments by eAdvocate
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant
to the rule, the gentleman from
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from
GENERAL LEAVE
Mr. SENSENBRENNER. Mr. Speaker, I ask
unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to
revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous materials on H.R. 4472,
currently under consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore.
Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from
There was no objection.
Mr. SENSENBRENNER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, I had a lengthy statement that I
wanted to put in the Record,
but we have a lot of demands for speakers, so I will be brief and include the
full statement in the Record
under general leave.
I rise in strong support of H.R. 4472, the
Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006. The continued vulnerability
of
Mr. Speaker, H.R. 4472 contains strict national offender registration
and data sharing requirements to ensure that law enforcement agencies in
The bill also increases criminal penalties to
punish and deter those who prey on children, and it authorizes important grant
programs that will help ensure the safety of our Nation's children.
Mr. Speaker, 25 years ago, John and Reve
Walsh suffered the devastating loss of their 6-year-old son, Adam, who was
abducted and murdered by a child predator. (Notice he did not say “child sexual predator”) With courage and determination, the Walshes channeled the grief of their son's loss into a
national campaign to spare other families from ever facing the pain they will
always endure.
And I would just like to point out that in the
well, there is a picture of this darling child who was
brutally murdered.
Their quarter century of sacrifice has made
Mr. Speaker, the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006 represents the most comprehensive Federal child safety
legislation ever considered by this House. It reflects this body's boldest
commitment yet to protecting
I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on the motion to suspend the
rules and send this vital and historic legislation to the
President's desk for his signature.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R.
4472, the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006.
Adam Walsh, Jacob Wetterling,
Megan Nicole Kanka, Pam Lychner,
Jetseta Gage, Dru Sjodin, Jessica Lunsford, Sarah Lunde,
Amie Zyla, Christy Fornoff,
Alexandra Nicole Zapp, Polly Klaas,
Jimmy Ryce, Carlie Brucia, Amanda Brown, Molly Bish,
Elizabeth Smart, Samantha Runnion. The names of these
innocent victims are seared into the national consciousness but only represent
a fraction of children victimized by violent sexual offenders. Their names
comprise a roll call of insufferable loss and a call to national action--the
injustice of each assault compounded by the cruel recognition that it might have been prevented. The
continued vulnerability of
There are over a half million sex offenders in
the
By requiring national registration
obligations, regular updates, frequent in-person verification, and providing
tough and targeted criminal penalties, we intend to make one thing clear to sex
offenders across this country--you better register, and you better keep the information current, or
you are going to jail. This legislation will also utilize the
To provide the public with important
information concerning the status and location of sex offenders, the bill
requires States to maintain Internet sites with accurate and accessible
offender information, and to provide timely notification of changes in sex
offender information to law enforcement authorities, as well as educational,
and other community organizations. H.R. 4472 also creates the National Sex
Offender Public Website so
that anyone can search any location in the country to determine where sex
offenders are located. (Note, this is not a true statement, because registries DO NOT tell
the public where sex offenders are located, but instead, tell the public where
a former sex offender sleeps, but not when s/he sleeps.
Many folks work or have (if not working) varying schedules which registries
cannot handle)
[Page: H5723]
In addition to vital improvements to the sex
offender registry, the bill increases criminal penalties to punish and deter
those who prey on children. These tough new provisions include: the death
penalty for the murder of a child; a mandatory minimum of 25 years in jail for kidnaping or maiming a child; and a 30-year mandatory
minimum for having sex with a child under 12 or sexually assaulting a child
between 13 and 17 years old. The bill would also make an alien's failure to
register a deportable offense and bar convicted alien sex offenders from having
family-based petitions approved.
In order to better protect America's children
against the growing threat of online sexual predators, the Adam Walsh Act
establishes a 20-year mandatory jail sentence for members of a child
exploitation enterprise, provides a 10-year consecutive mandatory penalty for
any sex offender who commits an offense against a child, authorizes additional
resources to prosecute child pornographers, and expands civil remedies for
sexual offenses against children. The bill also provides new grant programs to
combat sexual abuse of children, authorizes new crime prevention campaigns,
child fingerprinting campaigns, and establishes a national registry of
substantiated child abuse cases.
Mr. Speaker, 25 years ago, John and Reve
Walsh suffered the devastating loss of their 6-year-old son Adam, who was
abducted and murdered by a child predator. With
courage and determination, the Walshes channeled the
grief of their son's loss into a national campaign to spare other families from
ever facing the pain they will always endure. Their quarter century of
sacrifice has made
During the 109th Congress, the House has twice
passed broad child safety legislation in September, 2005, and in March of this
year. I commend the other body for recognizing the importance of following the
House's lead to address this issue.
Mr. Speaker, this legislation benefited
greatly from the tireless efforts of many Members of this body. I wish to thank
my colleague from
Mr. Speaker, the Adam Walsh Child Protection
and Safety Act of 2006 represents the most
comprehensive Federal child safety legislation ever considered by this House.
It reflects this body's boldest commitment yet to protecting
Mr. Speaker, I would like to take a moment to recognize all of those
who worked so hard to see this bill through to completion.
From the House Judiciary Committee's Majority
Staff, I would like to specifically thank Phil Kiko,
Sean McLaughlin, Rob Tracci, Brian Benczkowski, and Katy Crooks. From the Subcommittee on
Crime, Terrorism and Homeland Security, I want to thank Michael Volkov, Caroline Lynch, and Spencer Morgan, and Johnny Mautz from Chairman COBLE's
staff.
From the Leadership, I would like to thank
Margaret Peterlin, from the Speaker's Office, Jo
Marie
Additional House Staff who I would like to
thank are: Bobby Vassar, counsel to BOBBY SCOTT, Ranking Minority
Member, Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism and Homeland Security; Bradley
Schreiber of Representative FOLEY's staff;
Ryan Osterholm of Representative GREEN's
staff; Ryan Walker of Representative GILLMOR's
staff; Melanie Rhinehart of Representative POMEROY's staff; Josh Pitcock
of Representative PENCE's staff; Tim Morrison
of Representative KENNEDY's staff; Christine Calpin of Representative THOMAS's
staff; Ian Ryder of Representative WASSERMAN-SCHULTZ's staff; Whitney Rhodes and Pam
Davidson of the House Education and Workforce Committee staff; and David Cavick and Ryan Long, of the House Energy and Commerce
Committee staff.
I would also like to thank Doug Bellis from the Legislative Counsel's Office for his
dedication and assistance in the drafting of this important legislation.
From the Senate, I would like to thank Allen
Hicks and Brandi White of Senator FRIST's
staff; Michael O'Neill, Matt Miner, Todd Braunstein,
of the Senate Judiciary Committee; Ken Valentine and Tom Jipping
of Senator HATCH's staff; Joe Matal of Senator KYL's
staff; James Galyean of Senator GRAHAM's
staff; Dave Turk of Senator BIDEN's staff;
Bruce Cohen, Julie Katzman and Noah Bookbinder of
Senator LEAHY's staff, Nicole Gustafson of
Senator GRASSLEY's staff, as well as Chad Groover, who has since left Senator GRASSLEY's
office but who played a critical role in developing many of the penalty
enhancements included in title II; Christine Leonard of Senator KENNEDY's staff; Lara Flint of Senator FEINGOLD's staff; Nate Jones of Senator KOHL's staff; Sharon Beth Kristal of Senator DEWINE's staff; Reed O'Connor, Matthew Johnson and
Lynden Melmed of Senator CORNYN's
staff; Jane Treat of Senator COBURN's staff;
Greg Smith of Senator FEINSTEIN's staff;
Marianne Upton of Senator DURBIN's staff;
Bradley Hayes of Senator SESSIONS's staff; Preet Baharara of Senator SCHUMER's staff.
Additionally, I want to thank Avery Mann, from
Finally, I would like to pay respect to just
some of the victims who really helped with this bill: Mark and Amie Zyla from my State of Wisconsin, who have been tireless
advocates in support of this bill; Linda Walker, the mother of Dru Sjodin; Mark Lunsford; Erin Runnion; Marc Klass; Polly
Franks, Patty Wetterling; and last but not
least--really, really, we can never thank them enough--John and Reve Walsh.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. SCOTT of
Mr. Speaker, the crimes committed against the
children named in the bill, those not named, and the suffering of their
families is a tragedy for all of us, yet this does not release us from the responsibility to legislate on a
sound and reasoned basis. I believe the situation is serious and grave
enough to warrant a bill that is based on approaches that have been proven to
reduce this scourge in our society, not on sound bites that will merely pander to our emotions.
This bill focuses on establishing a national
sex offender registry and an Internet posting system for the public to
allegedly track the whereabouts of convicted and released sex offenders, and it also includes a number of
gratuitous provisions, such as eight additional and duplicative Federal death
penalties and 11 additional Federal mandatory minimum sentences.
[Time: 11:45 ]
Virtually all of the death penalty cases, as
with most criminal cases, are State cases. The cases referenced by children
named in this bill, because of the grave tragedies they have suffered, are all
State offenses, and I
don't believe a single one of them would have been covered by Federal law.
But I think all the Federal cases, you would think
that all of them would be Federal cases from the provisions in the bill.
Mr. Speaker, we recently increased Federal sex
offenses penalties in the PROTECT Act with mandatory minimums of at least 5
years and some up to mandatory life, even in cases involving consensual sex
between teenagers. And these increases came right after the Sentencing
Commission had already increased penalties for sex offenses at the direction of
Congress. And all of these increases were Federal cases based on the name of
the crime and the political appeal of striking out harshly against offenders.
But because of the few cases that are actually under Federal
jurisdiction, they will primarily affect Native Americans on reservations,
because all of their cases come under Federal jurisdiction. There is no
evidence that Native American offenders warrant any harsher treatment than any
other offenders.
Now, with no more basis than we had before,
just the name of the crime and the continuing political appeal of appearing
tough on sex offenders, we are again greatly increasing penalties with more
death penalties and increased mandatory minimums, including more mandatory
minimums for teenagers
having consensual sex.
Now, we can all agree that 35, 45-year-old or
even older persons, enticing or transporting a minor across State lines to
engage in sexual activity is despicable and should be severely punished.
However, the mandatory
minimum sentences in this bill include the
[Page: H5724]
18-year-old high school student who entices or transports
a 17-year-old boyfriend or girlfriend across State lines.
Under the provisions of the bill, prom night in the
Rather than taking such cases out of the bill, we are told that we
should simply trust the prosecutor. Don't trust the Sentencing
Commission's discretion to set guidelines designed to reflect what sentence
should be based on the facts and circumstances of the case or the background
and role of the offender, rather than simply the name of the case, the name of
the provision. And don't trust judges to look at the facts and circumstances of
the case, the offender's role and background and guidelines to arrive at an
appropriate sentence after hearing all of the evidence at trial. Take the
discretion away from these officials and trust prosecutors to decide when to
ignore law requiring a 10-year mandatory minimum sentence. And trust there are
no prosecutors who can be affected by issues such as local political
influences.
A few years ago, in
The problem with mandatory minimum sentences
is that they defy common sense. If you deserve the mandatory minimum, you can
get it. If it violates common sense, you have to get it anyway.
Many studies have shown that mandatory minimums wasted taxpayers'
money, are unfairly applied to minorities, and violate common sense.
The jury is out as to whether publicly accessible sex offender
registers will have any beneficial effect on reducing sex crimes, but the
studies that have been done indicate that the registries do not have any effect
in reducing sex crimes. And I have seen no study that suggests that the policy
of posting the name of juvenile delinquents, as this bill does, on the
Internet, serves any constructive purpose.
Of course, programs and grants to assist children and to provide the
type of sex offender treatment that studies have been shown that can cut
recidivism in half are not in this bill. (Notice, no sex offender
treatment.)
And so, Mr. Speaker, unlike most of my
colleagues we will hear from today, I believe that we can do better than this
bill to effectively address the scourge of child sexual assault.
Most of the criminals affected by the
mandatory minimums in this bill deserve the punishment in the bill, but they
would have gotten it anyway under present law. But a 10-year mandatory minimum
for consensual prom night activities does not make sense.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. SENSENBRENNER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2
minutes to the gentleman from
Mr. GREEN of
What makes this bill so powerful is that it
gives law enforcement and, more importantly, families, vital tools for keeping
our children safer. It expands the sex offender registry. It updates it. It
makes it more usable in communities all across this country.
This legislation has the Amie Zyla Act, which I wrote with the help of Mark and Amie Zyla.
Ten years ago, Amie Zyla
was then a young girl in
These crimes were absolutely preventable if
only law enforcement had the authority and the tools to let people know they a
serious sex offender in their midst.
Thanks to Amie's courage in telling
This great bill also contains the
I want to thank the chairman for his
leadership in bringing this legislation to the floor. I want to thank Mark and
Amie Zyla for telling their story. I want to thank my
friend, Marc Klaas, for his dedication to improving
our child safety laws. And of course, like so many today, I want to thank John
Walsh for never giving up in the pursuit of justice.
John, I know that the pain is still there
after 25 years. But I also know that you have lifted the lives of so many with
your strong, clear voice. Thank you for helping us get
to these days. Thank you for giving us the tools that we need to help keep
family safer.
Mr. SCOTT of
Mr. SENSENBRENNER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 1/2
minutes to the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Pence).
Mr. PENCE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman
for yielding and I thank him from my heart, as a dad of three small children,
for Chairman Jim Sensenbrenner,
once again, tenaciously achieving measurable gains in the law to protect our
families and protect our children in the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety
Act.
I am particularly humbled because title V of
this legislation is derived from a bill that I introduced in Congress, the
first session, the Child Pornography Prevention Act. As the title states, the
intent of my legislation is to prevent American children from becoming victims
of pornography because, as we know, child pornography is the fuel that fires
the wicked hearts of child predators, in addition to abusing the children
involved.
A main tenet of my bill is the addition of
language that will fix a technicality that so-called home pornographers have
used to evade Federal prosecutions, and it is in this legislation.
Another element of my bill is the addition of
a new section to the criminal code, section 2257(a) which adds a recordkeeping
requirement that will force producers of sexually explicit material to keep
records of the names and ages of their subjects when they are engaged in
simulated sexual activity, another measurable gain in the law for children.
Providing law enforcement with the tools to
combat child pornography contained in this legislation is a much needed and
overdue step that must be taken to protect our kids from those in society who
have no decency, no conscience and no shame.
I urge passage of the Adam Walsh Child
Protection and Safety Act of 2006. It is time to protect our kids. Today,
thanks to the leadership of Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Sensenbrenner, we
take a giant step toward doing just that.
Mr. Speaker, before us today is the Adam Walsh
Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006 (H.R. 4472). I am a strong supporter of
this legislation, and urge and command Chairman SENSENBRENNER for
tenaciously acting measurable gains for families and children again.
Title V of this legislation is derived from a
bill that I introduced in the First Session of this Congress, the Child
Pornography Prevention Act. As the title states, the intent of my legislation
is to prevent American children from becoming victims of pornography because as
we know, Mr. Speaker, the fuel that fires the wicked hearts of child predators
is child pornography.
Every day in
[Page: H5725]
A main tenet of my legislation is the addition
of language that will fix a technicality that so-called home pornographers have
used to evade federal prosecution on child pornography charges. Home
pornographers use digital cameras, Polaroid cameras and video cameras to make
pornographic pictures and videos of children, and they download child
pornography from the Internet onto their home computers. My legislation makes clear that
federal prosecutions of home pornographers can proceed in federal courts
because their activities impact interstate commerce. This is a fix that
must be made now in order to protect children at home.
Another element of my bill is the addition of
a section to the criminal code, Section 2257A, which adds a record-keeping
requirement that will force producers of sexually explicit material to keep
records of the names and ages of their subjects when they are engaged in
simulated sexual activity.
Congress previously enacted the PROTECT Act of
2003 against the background of Department of Justice regulations applying
section 2257 to both primary and secondary producers. That fact, along with the
Act's specific reference to the regulatory definition that existed at the time,
reflected Congress' agreement with the Department of Justice's view that it
already had the authority to regulate secondary procedures under the applicable
law.
A federal court in
My bill goes a step further by requiring that
records be kept for lascivious exhibitions--nude photographs and displays. No
child should be used in either nude pictures or sexually explicit materials
because these items only serve to inflame the prurient interest in child
predators. Requiring that records be kept will serve as a deterrent.
Additionally, my bill requires that the records
be made available to investigators for inspection. Failure to keep the records
or allow inspections is a criminal offense. By strengthening the law in this
manner, we will provide both a strong deterrent to the use of children in
sexually explicit materials and the necessary tools to law enforcement to
investigate and prosecute those who are not deterred.
Finally, the legislation expands the ability
of investigators and prosecutors to pursue the people who distribute child
pornography. These distributors also will be required to follow the
record-keeping provision, and this will provide law enforcement with a powerful
tool to use against them. These are devious people who work in cohorts with
pornographers to sell child pornography, but who currently can work out of sham
corporations to avoid prosecution. My legislation will empower prosecutors with
the ability to charge and convict these people.
Providing law enforcement with the tools to
combat child pornography contained in my legislation is a much-needed and
overdue step that must be taken to protect our children from those in our
society who have no decency and know no shame.
Mr. Speaker, I urge passage of the Adam Walsh
Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006. It is time to protect our children,
and today we take a significant step toward that goal.
Mr. SCOTT of
Mr. POMEROY. Mr. Speaker, 25 years ago the
abduction and killing of Adam Walsh was a tragedy that changed forever the
lives of his family members. And the change that occurred in his father, John
Walsh, has, as a result, changed our Nation as he has become such a superbly
effective advocate of the families of victims as they have stood for justice
time and time again.
Today this Congress has a chance, in memory of
Adam Walsh, to again change this country by passing a law that will bring much
needed protections and fully capturing the marvelous new technologies of the
Internet and using them as a means for families to protect themselves, to
protect their children from those who would prey upon them. And the need to
address this nationally is demonstrated time and time again.
Some might suggest the heart of this bill is
the Dru Sjodin National Sex
Registry, named in memory of Dru Sjodin.
I have a card that I carry of Dru. She was a talented, engaging, wonderful student at the
University of North Dakota. She was abducted from the parking lot of a
shopping center and killed.
The individual now on trial for her murder was a registered sex
offender, but only across the State line, which, in the context of
(Note: This lawmaker’s claim is absurd, Rodriguez
(registered in
We need a national registry so we know where these high risk predators
are and we can find them, (Note: Rodriguez was registered, so they knew where he was, but that
is the fallacy of registries, they only tell where a RSO sleeps, not where he
is.) not just law enforcement finding them, as has been advanced so
nobly over the years by the Jacob Wetterling
Registry, but all of our families. It is time for all of our families to have
access to this information. And so this registry, providing name, providing
residence, providing place of employment, providing automobile, is all very
vitally important information to be available to the public.
Additionally, the components of this bill that
have stepped up monitoring by local law enforcement, Federal grant dollars to
assist them in the manpower required to keep an eye on these predators in our
midst. And then the stiff minimum sentences, also an essential component of
this legislation.
I commend the chairman, Chairman Sensenbrenner, with whom it has been my
great pleasure to work as one of the Democrats strongly supporting this
legislation. I believe that there is nothing more fitting for us to do in honor
of these victims than pass the legislation which will keep other families safe.
I urge support of this legislation.
Mr. SENSENBRENNER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2
minutes to the gentleman from
Mr. FOLEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise to offer my
strong support for the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act.
I remember that tragic day in
The Adam Walsh Act is the most comprehensive
piece of child protection legislation this Congress has ever considered. The
bill creates, among other things, new State and Federal regulations, community
notification requirements, as well as new Federal criminal penalties for sex
offenders. It also gives law enforcement new resources, including authorizing
[Time: 12:00]
It used to be that we tracked library books
better than we do sex offenders, but this bill will
even that score.
I am grateful to Chairman Sensenbrenner for his leadership and
willingness to work with so many Members across the political aisle on this
important issue. I want to
thank the Speaker for keeping his word to get this bill to the President by
July 27, the 25th anniversary of Adam's death.
Mr. Speaker, there are many people who made
this day a reality, but the two people who should take the most credit are the
parents of Adam Walsh, and that is John and his wife, Reve.
It still amazes me to this day the way they were able to turn Adam's death into
a lifelong crusade to protect our Nation's children. Their passion and
commitment have led to the creation of the
John and Reve, our
Nation thanks you for everything you have done.
I want to especially thank Bradley Schreiber,
my legislative director; Michael Volkov; Phil Kiko; and Sean
[Page: H5726]
McLaughlin of the
House Judiciary Committee for their outstanding efforts.
Mr. Speaker, as Co-chairman of the
Congressional Missing and Exploited Children's Caucus and author of the Sex
Offender Registration and Notification Act and the Internet Safety Act
contained in this bill, I rise to offer my strong support for the Adam Walsh
Child Protection and Safety Act and urge my colleagues to vote for it.
Over two years ago, John Walsh and Ernie Allen
approached me at a missing children's conference I was hosting in
The Adam Walsh Act is arguably the most
comprehensive piece of child protection legislation that Congress has ever considered.
The bill creates, among other things, new state and federal registration and
community notification requirements, as well as new federal criminal penalties,
for sex offenders. It also gives law enforcement new resources including:
authorizing the
One of the basic tenets of the Due Process
Clause is to give criminal suspects notice. So, for those pedophiles and
predators across this country that have harmed a child
or are considering harming a child let me tell you now that you are on notice.
We will find you, prosecute you and monitor you--in some cases, for the rest of
your life. Your days in the shadows are over and our children will no longer be
your prey.
We used to track library books better than we
do sex offenders, but this bill will even that score.
I am very grateful to Chairman SENSENBRENNER
for not only his leadership and his willingness to work with me on this issue
but for the fact that he did not bend to the Senate and was able to produce the
strong bill we are going to pass today.
I want to thank Speaker HASTERT for keeping his word to get the
Adam Walsh bill to the President by July 27th--the 25th Anniversary of Adam's
death. I know that both John and Reve are truly
appreciative for all that you have done.
I also want to thank Senators HATCH and
BIDEN for their continued, unwavering commitment to protecting our
nation's children. These two men have been associated with every major child
protection bill in the past 20 years and I am very thankful that they took the
lead on the Adam Walsh bill in the Senate.
Mr. Speaker, there are many people to thank
who made this day a reality. But the two people who should take the most credit
are John and Reve Walsh. It still amazes me to this
day the way they were able to turn Adam's death into a lifelong crusade to
protect our nation's children. Their passion and commitment have led to the
creation of the
I also want to thank Mark Lunsoford
and the other victim's families. It was their tireless efforts that broke the
logjam in the Senate and got us here today.
I would also like to thank Ernie Allen, Robbie
Calloway and Michelle Laxalt for all they did during
the past few years helping me try to shepard
this bill through Congress and working to keep this issue at the forefront of
everyone's minds.
Last, but not least, I want to thank the staff
who committed long hours and a great deal of their personal time to this bill.
Phil Kiko, Sean McLaughlin, and Michael Volkov with Chairman Sensenbrenner's staff; Margaret Peterlin with Speaker HASTERT's
staff; Ken Valentine with Senator Hatch's
staff; Dave Turk with Senator BIDEN's staff;
Matt Miner, Todd Bruanstein and Brett Tolman with Chairman SPECTER's
staff; Allen Hicks and Brandi White with Senator FRIST's
staff; Joe Matal with Senator KYL's
staff; Christine Leonard with Senator KENNEDY's
staff; Julie Katzman and Noah Bookbinder with Senator
LEAHY's staff; Nicole Gustafson with Senator GRASSLEY's staff; and Sharon Beth Kristal of Senator
DEWINE's staff.
Mr. Speaker, I truly appreciate everyone's
efforts in making this day a reality.
Mr. SCOTT of
Mr. CRAMER. Mr. Speaker, I too stand in strong
support of this bill. I want to compliment the chairman of the Judiciary
Committee for giving us this opportunity. My colleague, Mark Foley, who just
spoke, he and I cochaired the Caucus for Missing and
Exploited Children.
Prior to my time here in Congress, I was a
district attorney, and I saw too many children victimized by predators that had
slipped between the cracks, predators that lived in neighborhoods. Neighbors
didn't know it. Schools didn't know it. We can tighten this net of safety
around children and families, but only through this bill can we do that.
I joined with John Walsh in the early 1980s in
an effort to form a stronger network of child abuse intervention programs that
we built around the country called the National Children's
But in establishing centers like this, in
bringing network teams together in communities, we found out that that safety
net to protect those children and families simply did not exist, and that was
because the registration and notification system was practically nonexistent.
And even though we, from the 1990s forward, have done everything we can to
improve that, we still kept the notice factors in that too private, too
available to only a certain select few so that neighbors and communities and
schools did not know what they needed to do.
I want to congratulate John Walsh and his
wife, Reve, as well for making sure that they are
establishing the next chapter in honor of Adam Walsh. John and Reve have given so much to the rest of this country in
making sure that children are protected.
We need to pass this bill today in Adam
Walsh's memory.
Mr. SENSENBRENNER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2
minutes to the gentlewoman from
Mrs. KELLY. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank
Chairman Sensenbrenner for
his hard work on this piece of legislation, which goes a long way toward protecting
our children from predators and abusers.
Our Nation loses four children a day to abuse
and neglect. Our government owes it to these children to provide our law
enforcement and child protective service communities with a deep, ready, and
effective arsenal that they can utilize to protect the most vulnerable element
of our society.
The conference report contains a provision I authored in the House to
create a Federal registry of child abuse and neglect at the Department of
Health and Human Services. This registry will close a glaring loophole in our
current law which allows child abusers to find sanctuary by merely crossing
States' borders. (Note:
These are not sex offenders, this pertains to the states’ “central registry”
which keeps track of CSP type cases, and yes, some of those cases involve sex
abuse.)
This legislation puts a ``go-to'' Federal
resource in place to help local jurisdictions identify and track those with a
history of child abuse anywhere in this country. Now our State and local child
protection services will be able to access this valuable tool to weed out
predators and help them fight child abuse and neglect across State lines. It is
a commonsense child protection measure. It was passed by the House twice, and I
am very happy to see it included in this conference report before us today.
With the establishment of the Federal Child Abuse and Neglect
Registry, local and State child advocacy services will have a full
picture of the individual who would have children placed in their care, abuse
them, and then try to escape; and our Nation's most vulnerable children will
now be protected.
I would like to thank Chairman Sensenbrenner again for his leadership
on this issue, and I also want to thank my constituent John Walsh for his hard
work over many years to bring this bill to fruition.
Mr. SENSENBRENNER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1
minute to the gentleman from
Mr. FITZPATRICK of
[Page: H5727]
and for his
determination in bringing this bill, H.R. 4472, to the House floor today.
Mr. Speaker, as the father of six children, I
am deeply committed to finding better ways to safeguard the welfare of
The Internet SAFETY Act will increase
penalties for registered sex offenders who commit felony offenses involving a
minor and set fines and imprisonment for Internet providers who facilitate
child pornography. The legislation will also establish an Office of Sexual
Crimes and Violence Against Children within the United
States Department of Justice.
These are strong additions to an already
thoughtful and comprehensive set of policies outlined in H.R. 4472. Mr.
Speaker, I urge my colleagues to adopt this legislation.
Mr. SCOTT of
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Chocola). Is there
objection to the request of the gentleman from
There
was no objection. (Note:
Unusual)
Mr. SENSENBRENNER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the
gentleman from
(Mr. GINGREY asked and was given permission to
revise and extend his remarks.)
Mr. GINGREY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in
support of H.R. 4472, the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act.
Mr. Speaker, this bipartisan legislation is a
victory in the fight to keep our children safe. There are many critical and
important provisions included in this bill. In particular, Mr. Speaker, I want
to thank the House and Senate conferees for including in this legislation a
provision that I introduced in the House earlier this year, a provision that is
entitled Masha's Law.
Last year I learned of a shocking inequity
that exists in our current law. Currently, a person who illegally downloads
music faces penalties in civil court that are three times as harsh as a person
who downloads child pornography. This horrible inequity was the inspiration
behind the introduction of Masha's Law, and this
provision dramatically increases civil statutory damages for child
exploitation, creating a civil avenue victims of child
sexual exploitation can pursue to recover monetary damages from these
predators. This includes those who produce, distribute, and consume child
pornography.
Mr. Speaker, I want my colleagues to know that
Masha's Law is named after a brave 13-year-old girl
from my district, Masha Allen. Masha
was born in
Fortunately, this perpetrator is now behind
bars. However, over the years of his abuse of Masha,
he photographed her, posted her pictures, and traded her pornographic images
over the Internet. The sad reality is that, although these monsters can be put
behind bars, the victims of Internet child pornography will continue to be
exploited, and this is why I introduced Masha's Law.
Mr. Speaker, a compassionate society looks
after the most vulnerable among us, our children. I urge my colleagues to
support the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act so we can protect our
most precious commodity, innocent children like Masha,
and give back hope to those who need it most.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R.
4472, the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act. This bipartisan
legislation is a victory in the fight to keep our children safe. There are many
critical and important provisions included in this bill, provisions that allow
States to better track convicted sex offenders, ones that tighten up loop holes
in current sex offender registration and notification laws, and ones that
empower law enforcement through increased coordination.
In particular, Mr. Speaker, I want to thank
the House and Senate conferees for including in this legislation a provision I
introduced in the House earlier this year, a provision entitled ``Masha's Law.''
Last year I learned of a shocking inequity
that exists in our current law. Currently, a person who illegally downloads
music faces penalties in civil court that are three times as harsh as a person
who downloads child pornography. This horrible inequity was the inspiration
behind the introduction of Masha's Law.
This provision dramatically increases civil
statutory damages for child exploitation, creating a civil
avenue victims of child sexual exploitation can pursue to recover
monetary damages from their predators. This includes those who produce,
distribute, and consume child pornography.
Mr. Speaker, I want my colleagues to know
that Masha's Law is named after a brave 13-year old
girl from my district, Masha Allen. Masha was born in
Fortunately, this perpetrator is now behind
bars. However over the years of his abuse of Masha he
photographed her, posted her pictures and traded her
pornographic images over the internet. The sad reality is that although these
monsters can be put behind bars, the victims of internet child pornography will
continue to be exploited.
This is why I introduced Masha's
law. It allows these individuals a pathway to recover damages they have
suffered from these crimes and allows them to pursue this avenue even after
they are no longer a minor. Therefore as their pictures are downloaded and
traded, year and year, these victims can continue to seek justice from these
horrendous crimes.
Mr. Speaker, a compassionate society looks
after the most vulnerable among us, our children. I urge my colleagues to
support the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act, so we can protect our
most preciously commodity, innocent, children like Masha,
and give back hope to those who need it the most.
Mr. SENSENBRENNER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2
minutes to the gentlewoman from
Ms. GINNY BROWN-WAITE of
Finally, we have a bill passed by both this
body and the Senate for the President to sign. Finally, Mark Lunsford has a
legacy for his daughter Jessica of a guardian angel keeping children safe by
closing dangerous loopholes in our law. Finally, the family and friends of Adam
Walsh, Carlie Brucia, Sarah
Lunde, and so many others can sleep a little better
at night knowing we are helping to protect
My heart is still broken for the loss of
Jessica Lunsford and all the joys in life that she will miss. At least she will
be in a better place where no one can ever harm her again.
Mr. Speaker, certainly Chairman Sensenbrenner, who worked tirelessly on
this bill, deserves a great deal of credit.
Back when I first heard about Jessica's
disappearance, I knew that we could not sit back and do nothing. For instance, the probation officer for
Jessica's alleged killer, John Couey, never knew that
he was a convicted sex offender. (Note: Like probation officers do not have a criminal
history of those they supervise, this is absurd) I introduced a bill, and Chairman Sensenbrenner was kind enough to include
it in this comprehensive bill, that fixes that.
The alleged perpetrator also did not have a current address on file
with law enforcement, as he should have. This bill demands more frequent
updates and checks. (Note:
More frequent updates and checks would not have changed the outcome of the John
Couey case, but the probation officer doing his job
could have changed the outcome. i.e., having a criminal history of John Couey.) It also provides some grant mechanisms to be
sure that the localities can pay for this additional registration. The bill
empowers States to do just as
I know in my heart that these changes will
genuinely help equip our law enforcement to better protect the most innocent in
our society, our children.
My good friend Congressman MARK FOLEY has
said numerous times that previously we tracked library books better than we
tracked sex offenders. Thankfully, that will be no more.
[Page: H5728]
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of
H.R. 4472, Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006.
Finally, we have a bill passed by both this
body and the Senate for the President to sign.
Finally, Mark Lunsford has a legacy for his
daughter Jessica of a guardian angel, keeping children safe by closing
dangerous loopholes in the law.
Finally, the family and friends of Adam Walsh,
Carlie Brucia, Sarah Lunde, and so many others can sleep a little better at
night, knowing we are helping to protect
My heart is still broken for the loss of
little Jessica Lunsford and for all the joys in life that she will miss.
At least she is in a better place, where no
one can ever harm her again.
Mr. Speaker, I am awed and humbled to have
worked on this legislation with Chairman SENSENBRENNER, who has worked
tirelessly to pass this bill.
When I heard about the manor of Jessica's
disappearance, I knew I could not sit back while there were many changes I
could make to fix the law.
For instance, the probation officer for
Jessica's alleged killer, John Couey, never knew he
was a convicted sex offender. This bill fixes that.
Couey did not keep a
current address on file with law enforcement as he should have. This bill
demands more frequent updates and checks.
And we didn't have any method of tracking sex
offenders after release from prison, though they have such high rates of
recidivism. This bill empowers states to do as
I know in my heart that these changes will
genuinely help equip law enforcement to protect the most innocent in our
society--our children.
My good friend, Congressman MARK FOLEY,
has said numerous times that we track library books better than we track sex
offenders. Well, no more.
I urge my colleagues to support this bill and
send it to the President for his signature.
Mr. SENSENBRENNER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1
minute to the gentleman from
(Mr. HAYWORTH asked and was given permission
to revise and extend his remarks.)
Mr. HAYWORTH. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong
support of this good commonsense bill. It will protect our children from sexual
predators and sex trafficking and provide more tools for law enforcement to
help defend our kids.
Last year during House floor consideration of
this important legislation, Representative Sue
Kelly and I offered an amendment to create a national child abuse
registry within the Department of Health and Human Services. This registry will
remove the loophole in our local laws that allows
child abusers to remain anonymous by moving to another State. This provision
will require that States share with other States information that they already
collect and share with their counties, cities, and towns.
A national child abuse registry is strongly
supported by a number of child advocacy organizations including ChildHelp
Mr. Speaker, my colleagues, by working
together, we can strengthen our efforts to protect children from predators.
Again, I urge this House to pass this commonsense legislation.
Mr. SENSENBRENNER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1
minute to the gentleman from
(Mr. GILLMOR asked and was given permission to
revise and extend his remarks.)
Mr. GILLMOR. Mr. Speaker, I thank the
gentleman for yielding.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in wholehearted
support of this legislation. I think it stands as a testament to Congress's
heeding the call of the American public for increased protections from these
dangerous sexual predators.
I would like to commend Chairman Sensenbrenner for his leadership and
for his unwavering commitment to ensure that American families receive the
necessary tools to protect their loved ones. As a father of three young
children, I feel a special appreciation for the benefits that this legislation
will provide, not the least of which is a national database of sexually violent
offenders accessible to all Americans via the Internet, enhanced community
notification measures, and a study to assess the merits of a standardized
national risk-based classification system. I particularly want to thank the
chairman for working with me in including those provisions which were set forth
in two bills I had previously introduced.
I urge passage of the bill.
Mr. SCOTT of
Mr. SENSENBRENNER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, let me say that this vote will
draw to a close congressional consideration of legislation that has brought
together Republicans and Democrats, concerned parents, and those who are
related to victims from around the country. And this has become somewhat of a
crusade in order to make necessary changes to prevent more sexual predators
from falling through the cracks and molesting and harming and even murdering
innocent victims.
[Time: 12:15 ]
The Child Safety Act of 2006, I believe, is
appropriately named after Adam Walsh. One of the things I did early in my
service in Congress was to work with the Walshes to
pass the first bill which put the names of missing children in the FBI's
National Crime Identification File. There were problems in alerting law
enforcement back in the early 1980's when a child had been abducted, and, as a
result, those who did abduct the children were able to take them far away
before law enforcement was able to weave the net around these people, and many tragedies
occurred, including the brutal murder of the Walsh's beloved son, Adam.
I really want to commend John Walsh and his
wife, because they have used the tragedy of their son's death and the grief
that it caused to be able to make America a safer place for children, not only
those that are here now, but those that are to be born in this country and who
come to this country.
The Children's Safety Act of 2003 was a
necessary start. This bill improves on the Children's Safety Act of 2003, plugs
more loopholes, and
Vote in favor of the bill, send it to the President.
Mr. Speaker, I include for the Record an exchange of letters between
Mr. Thomas, Chairman of the
Committee on Ways and Means, and myself.
COMMITTEE ON WAYS
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,
Hon. F. JAMES SENSENBRENNER, Jr.,
Chairman, Committee on the Judiciary,
As you know, the Committee on Ways and Means
has jurisdiction over matters concerning certain child welfare programs,
particularly as they pertain to foster care and adoption. Section 152 of the
bill would require States to conduct safety checks of would-be foster and
adoptive homes as well as eliminate the ability of States to opt-out of Federal
background check requirements restricting Federal support for children placed
with foster or adoptive parents with serious criminal histories. Section 152
also would require States to check child abuse registries for potential foster
and adoptive parents. Thus these provisions fall within the jurisdiction of the
Committee on Ways and Means. However, in order to expedite this bill for floor
consideration, the Committee will forgo action. This is being done with the
understanding that it does not in any way prejudice the Committee with respect
to the appointment of conferees or its jurisdictional prerogatives on this bill
or similar legislation.
I would appreciate your response to this
letter, confirming this understanding with respect to H.R. 4472, and would ask
that a copy of our exchange of letters on this matter be included in the
Congressional Record during floor consideration.
Best regards,
Bill Thomas,
Chairman.
--
CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES,
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,
Hon.
Chairman, Committee on Ways and Means,
House of Representatives,
[Page: H5729]
Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of
2006.'' I acknowledge your jurisdictional interest in this legislation and
agree that your decision to waive consideration of this bill shall not be
construed to prejudice the jurisdiction of the Committee on Ways and Means over
this or similar legislation.
I will include a copy of your letter and this
response in the Congressional Record during consideration of H.R. 4472 on the
House floor.
Thank you for you assistance in this matter.
Sincerely,
F. James Sensenbrenner, Jr.,
Chairman.
Mr. UDALL of
The bill will create a National Sex Offender
Registry with uniform standards for the registration of sex offenders,
including a lifetime registration requirement for the most serious offenders.
This is a vital step to improve the current patch-work quilt of 50 different
state systems for identifying and tracking sex offenders. The bill also
authorizes much-needed grants to help local law enforcement agencies establish
and integrate sex offender registry systems.
Under the bill, states will be required to
maintain sex offender registries accessible to the public on the Internet and
to make failure to register a felony. Sex offenders will be required to provide
The bill targets child-exploitation
enterprises and registered sex offenders who commit offenses against minors,
including obscene visual representations of sexual abuse of children and sex
trafficking of children. It includes several provisions designed to better
combat child pornography, including authorizing civil and criminal asset
forfeiture in child pornography cases. And it authorizes new grant programs
that will help local law enforcement agencies combat sexual abuse of children
by enabling them to hire more people, add computer hardware and software, and
take other steps to apprehend sex offenders who violate registry requirements.
It also authorizes a new grant program for the National Crime Prevention
Council, a private, nonprofit organization that has expertise in promoting
crime prevention programs through public outreach and media campaigns.
The bill also authorizes 88 new prosecutors
within the U.S. Attorneys' Offices to prosecute child sex offenses, including
child exploitation, child sexual abuse, and child obscenity and pornography
offenses. It authorizes 10 additional Justice Department task forces to address
Internet crimes against children. It authorizes the Justice Department to
provide grants to states, local governments, and nonprofit organizations to
establish and maintain programs to educate children and parents on the best way
to be safe using he Internet. It authorizes the
Justice Department, in consultation with the
As a cosponsor of H.R. 4005, the National Police
Athletic League (
The
parents. It utilizes
educational, athletic and recreational activities to create trust and
understanding between police officers and youth. It is based on the conviction
that young people--if they are reached early enough--can develop strong
positive attitudes towards police officers in their journey through life toward
the goal of maturity and good citizenship.
A volunteer-driven organization with an
estimated 80,000 volunteers across the country supporting all levels of
programming,
I do have concerns about some aspects of the
bill, including a provision allowing some juvenile offenders over 14 to be
included in publicly available sex offender registries. However, on balance I
think this is a good, strong bill and I support its enactment.
Mr. EMANUEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in
strong support of H.R. 4472, the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of
2006. This Act will greatly improve the national program to register and
monitor child predators.
I am especially pleased that the Act includes
all of the major provisions of the Jessica Lunsford and Sarah Lunde Act, which I introduced in July of 2005. This act
creates grants for state and local governments to implement electronic
monitoring programs of child sex offenders, using
Electronic tracking of sexual predators will
provide law enforcement with the real time location of the offender within 10
feet of their location. These measures enhance the capability of law
enforcement to provide children and their parents with the protections they
need.
Today there are nearly 550,000 registered sex
offenders in the
The Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act
of 2006 also requires every state to maintain a sex
offender-registry and directs the Attorney General and FBI to maintain a
National Sex Offender registry with updated and detailed information about sex
offenders. Accessible and thorough information about sexual predators is
essential to guaranteeing the safety of our children and preventing previous
offenders from striking again.
Mr. Speaker, far too many sex offenders are
able to slip through the cracks and become lost to law enforcement officials.
The Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006 greatly increases law enforcement's ability to protect our children
and provide peace of mind to parents. This Act is an important step to ensuring
the safety of our nation's children and I urge my colleagues to support it.
Mr. MEEK of
Today, the House is considering the
Senate-passed version of H.R. 4472, the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety
Act, which includes the language of the National Police Athletic/Activities
League (
The bill will reauthorize the National Police
Athletic League Youth Enrichment Act of 2000 (P.L. 106-367). It will also
authorize $16 million per year in assistance to National
The
I strongly urge my colleagues to support this
important legislation, so that we can continue to fund this program, which
provides such good guidance and direction to so many of our youth.
Mr. PENCE. Mr. Speaker, before us today is the
Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006 (H.R. 4472). I am a strong
supporter of this legislation, and urge its passage.
Title V of this legislation is derived from a
bill that I introduced in the First Session of this Congress, the Child
Pornography Prevention Act. As the title states, the intent of my legislation
is to prevent American children from becoming victims of pornography because as
we know, Mr. Speaker, the fuel that fires the wicked hearts of child predators
is child pornography.
Every day in
A main tenet of my legislation is the addition
of language that will fix a technicality that so-called home pornographers have
used to
[Page: H5730]
evade federal prosecution
on child pornography charges. Home pornographers use digital cameras, Polaroid
cameras and video cameras to make pornographic pictures and videos of children,
and they download child pornography from the Internet onto their home
computers. My legislation makes clear that federal prosecutions of home
pornographers can proceed in federal courts because their activities impact
interstate commerce. This is a fix that must be made now in order to protect
children at home.
Another element of my bill is the addition of
a new section to the criminal code, Section 2257A, which adds a record-keeping
requirement that will force producers of sexually explicit material to keep
records of the names and ages of their subjects when they are engaged in
simulated sexual activity.
Congress previously enacted the PROTECT Act of
2003 against the background of Department of Justice regulations applying
section 2257 to both primary and secondary producers. That fact, along with the
Act's specific reference to the regulatory definition that existed at the time,
reflected Congress' agreement with the Department of Justice's view that it
already had the authority to regulate secondary producers under the applicable
law.
A federal court in
My bill goes a step further by requiring that
records be kept for lascivious exhibitions nude photographs and displays. No
child should be used in either nude pictures or sexually explicit materials
because these items only serve to inflame the prurient interest in child
predators. Requiring that records be kept will serve as a deterrent.
Additionally, my bill requires that the records be made available to
investigators for inspection. Failure to keep the records or allow inspections
is a criminal offense. By strengthening the law in this manner, we will provide
both a strong deterrent to the use of children in sexually explicit materials
and the necessary tools to law enforcement to investigate and prosecute those
who are not deterred.
Finally, the legislation expands the ability
of investigators and prosecutors to pursue the people who distribute child
pornography. These distributors also will be required to follow the
record-keeping provision, and this will provide law enforcement with a powerful
tool to use against them. These are devious people who work in cohorts with
pornographers to sell child pornography, but who currently can work out of sham
corporations to avoid prosecution. My legislation will empower prosecutors with
the ability to charge and convict these people.
Providing law enforcement with the tools to
combat child pornography contained in my legislation is a much-needed and
overdue step that must be taken to protect our children from those in our
society who have no decency and know no shame.
Mr. Speaker, I urge passage of the Adam Walsh
Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006. It is time to protect our children,
and today we take a significant step toward that goal.
Mr. HERGER. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support
of H.R. 4472, the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006. This is
good legislation that will go a long way towards keeping our children safe from
harm.
I am especially pleased this legislation
includes an important provision that I believe will help improve our Nation's
child protection system. As part of the Adoption and Safe Families Act of 1997,
Federal law was amended to require that States complete background checks prior
to approving a prospective foster or adoptive home. If these background checks
reveal that would-be foster or adoptive parents have been convicted of certain
felonies including murder and crimes against children, such adults are
permanently disqualified from receiving Federal funds as foster or adoptive
parents. Felony convictions for physical assault, battery, or drug-related
offenses disqualify an adult from receiving Federal payments for the child for
5 years. To be clear, States could still place foster children in those homes,
they just couldn't use Federal dollars to pay such adults for the care of the
children.
These provisions are designed to ensure
children are placed in safe homes and Federal funds are used properly.
Currently, 43 States including the
In practice, it is our understanding that most
of the States actually follow Federal guidelines, leaving only a handful of
States that actually apply weaker standards than Federal law expects.
H.R. 4472 will allow States that opt out of
the current Federal standards to continue to do so for the next 2 years. But
then all States must comply with the current requirements, which most already
follow. States will continue to have the flexibility to define requirements
that are stronger than Federal law. It is my hope that during the next 2 years
the States that apply weaker standards for who can be a foster or adoptive
parent and receive Federal funds will examine their policies an
take steps to bring them in line with Federal policy, as the overwhelming
majority of States already do.
It is important that all States satisfy
minimum requirements to ensure the safety of children. Children in foster care
are literally our responsibility. It is not too much to expect certain minimum
standards involving who can be entrusted with their care, especially when
Federal tax dollars are paid to such adults. Amazingly enough, some suggest
this provision may not increase child safety. I disagree. It is difficult to
understand how some can insist that Federal taxpayers must pay adults to be
foster or adoptive parents when a background check has uncovered their
involvement in past crimes such as murder and crimes against children. Again,
States may choose to do whatever they wish with their own dollars, but we have
a responsibility to see that children are protected and Federal tax dollars are
used wisely. I'm pleased H.R. 4472 will ensure all States follow the same
minimum standards for determining who may be entrusted with these vulnerable
children and receive Federal funds for their care. I urge my colleagues to
support this important legislation.
Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in
support of H.R. 4472, the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006
that will revamp this country's sex offenders
registration system. This bill is named in honor of Adam Walsh, the son of John
and Reve Walsh, who was abducted 25 years ago.
Through the strength and perseverance of John and Reve,
they turned the gut wrenching tragedy of the abduction and killing of their son
Adam into a lifelong crusade to protect the children of others. The bill before
us today is another weapon in this country's arsenal to protect our children
from what seems to be an epidemic of abduction and exploitation.
The National Center for Missing and Exploited
Children (NCMEC) estimates that today there are more that 563,000 sex offenders
that are ``supposed'' to be registered in this country. Unfortunately,
approximately 100,000 of these offenders are currently unaccounted for and
therefore, are under the watchful eye of no one.
H.R. 4472 will create a National registry that
will provide enhanced information on a uniform basis thereby replacing a
patchwork of individual systems administered and maintained by each State.
Through this bill, sex offenders will have the same requirements to register
throughout the country. Sex offenders will be required to register before they
are released from prison to insure that they don't slip through the cracks.
Moreover, this bill will impose stiff penalties for failing to register by
imposing a felony.
While we can never do enough to protect our
children, this bill does tighten the weave of the safety net through which many
predators have slipped. A uniform national registry of sexual predators will
assist law enforcement, parents, and concerned citizens in their vigilance and
awareness of who is lurking on our neighborhood waiting to rob our children of
their innocence and, all too often, of their lives.
We owe a special debt of gratitude to the
bipartisan group of legislators who steered this bill successfully through
Conference, the Walshes, and the
Mr. SENSENBRENNER. Mr. Speaker, I yield back
the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore.
The question is on the motion offered by the gentleman from
The
question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor thereof)
[Page: H5731]
the
rules were suspended and
the Senate amendments were concurred in.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
END