Lawmakers give final approval of tough sex-offender bill

Media Release

July 21, 2006

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Senate last night unanimously approved legislation that will strengthen the federal laws governing the registration and tracking of sexual offenders released from prison.

The Adam Walsh Act – named for a 6-year-old who was kidnapped and killed in 1981 in Hollywood, Florida – combines House and Senate bills aimed at cracking down on those who prey on children, and includes a key provision by U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson of Florida to provide federal grants for states and local communities that start their own programs to track and monitor these criminals.

Nelson’s provision in the broader bill was named after Jessica Lunsford, of Homosassa, Florida and Sarah Lunde, of Ruskin, Florida, two girls who were murdered by sex offenders last year after they got out of prison. Specifically, Nelson’s provision will require the U.S. Attorney General to oversee $15 million in grants over three years to support states with programs that get tougher on those convicted of preying on children.

On the Senate floor yesterday, one of Sen. Nelson’s colleagues lauded the provision. “Sen. Bill Nelson, Chuck Grassley, all contributed important parts of this bill. They each took tragedies that happened in their states and used them as a call to action,” said Delaware’s Sen. Joseph Biden, one of the broader bill’s chief proponents.

Nelson said today his provision will help programs similar to the one established last year in Florida requiring lifetime tracking of sex offenders by global positioning satellites (GSP). “This funding will help encourage other states to start programs like Florida’s,” Nelson said. “Without grants like these, new, tougher laws often don’t have the funding they need to truly be effective.” Beyond Nelson’s provision, the Adam Walsh Act also creates a national database of sex offenders, rather than state-managed records. The legislation toughens current laws by requiring lifetime registration for the most serious sex offenders with failure to register constituting a felony.

The Senate-approved version of the Adam Walsh Act already has received the approval of House negotiators so passage by the full House is a formality. President Bush plans to sign the bill into law on July 27, the 25th anniversary of Adam Walsh’s adduction and death.

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