Florida Senator Mel Martinez (re: S. 1086)
Dear REMOVED:
Thank you for contacting me regarding crimes against children. I appreciate hearing from you and would like to respond to your concerns.
Earlier this year in Florida, a nine year-old-girl named Jessica Lunsford was kidnapped, molested, and killed by a convicted sex offender. This tragic case and the many others like it highlight the urgent need for legislation to improve law enforcement’s ability to protect children from sexual predators.
With the passage of the Jacob Wetterling Act in 1994, Congress required states to create a sex offender registration program. Since that day, Congress has strengthened the Act by increasing penalties for convicted sex offenders, allowing public access to sex offenders’ addresses, and providing law enforcement officers with photographs and fingerprints, among other things. However, as Jessica’s death demonstrates, there are still numerous weaknesses in the current system.
On July 28, 2005, the United States Senate passed the Dru Sjodin National Sex Offender Public Database Act of 2005 (S. 792) by unanimous consent. This bill would create a national database to better monitor sex offenders who cross state lines. The database would be available to the public via the Internet so that people are aware of sex offenders residing in their neighborhoods. This legislation now awaits consideration by the U.S. House of Representatives.
On May 23, 2005, I joined 17 of my Senate colleagues in co-sponsoring the Jacob Wetterling, Megan Nicole Kanka, and Pam Lychner Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (S. 1086). Among other provisions, S. 1086 would create a federally maintained DNA sex offender database, require sex offenders to register and/or update the sex offender registry in person twice a year, and increase penalties for failure to register. The Senate Committee on the Judiciary amended and approved S. 1086 on October 20, 2005, and it now awaits consideration by the full Senate.
The U.S. House of Representatives passed the Children’s Safety Act of 2005 (H.R. 3132) on September 14, 2005. This legislation would create a national registration database of sex offenders on the internet, implement tracking requirements to better monitor the whereabouts of offenders, and make it a federal crime for offenders to fail to register or keep their information current. H.R. 3132 has been referred to the Senate Committee on the Judiciary.
As this issue moves forward in the 109th Congress, I will work with my Senate colleagues to create a system that efficiently and effectively protects our nation’s children. Again, thank you for contacting my office. If you have any additional questions or comments, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Sincerely,
Mel Martinez
United States Senator