House Approves Children’s Safety Act

September 14, 2005

Congressman Dreier voted today to approve legislation aimed at cracking down on crimes against children and identifying sex offenders through a new National Sex Offender Registry. The Children’s Safety Act of 2005 passed the House today with broad bipartisan support, 371-52.

"The increasing number of high-profile sex offenses against children over the past few years highlights the necessity of closing loopholes in sex offender registration laws and increasing penalties for sex offenses," Dreier said. "Despite previous efforts at the federal level, too many sex offenders remain unregistered and too many children remain vulnerable. Aggressively monitoring sex offenders through registration is critical to ensuring the health and safety of minors in this country.

"California is a leader in sex offender registration, but some still elude authorities. In 1947, California enacted the nation’s first sex offender registration law. H.R. 3132 creates a new National Sex Offender Registry. It also creates a coordinated law enforcement approach that includes a broadening of the definition of such crimes, increases reporting requirements for known offenders, and increases penalties for those convicted of sexual and violent crimes against minors. It also increases the amount of information shared with state and local officials about known sex offenders who move into their communities.

Dreier noted that the problem of "lost" sex offenders in the general population could be one of the many after effects of Hurricane Katrina, as large segments of the Gulf Coast population have been displaced. The House adopted an amendment sponsored by Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Sensenbrenner (R-WI) that directs the Department of Justice to provide technical assistance to help law enforcement with locating and monitoring the sex offenders who have been relocated from areas affected by the storm.

"A national problem deserves a national solution," Dreier said. "Better coordination at all levels of law enforcement should help protect our children from those we know wish to do them harm."