[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 980 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







109th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 980

 To provide state and local governments with financial assistance that 
 will increase their ability and effectiveness in monitoring convicted 
  sex offenders by developing and implementing a program using global 
  positioning systems to monitor convicted sexual offenders or sexual 
                  predators released from confinement.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              May 9, 2005

  Mr. Nelson of Florida introduced the following bill; which was read 
          twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To provide state and local governments with financial assistance that 
 will increase their ability and effectiveness in monitoring convicted 
  sex offenders by developing and implementing a program using global 
  positioning systems to monitor convicted sexual offenders or sexual 
                  predators released from confinement.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Sexual Predator Effective Monitoring 
Act of 2005''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds that--
            (1) in recent years we have seen multiple cases of 
        convicted sexual offenders serving probation abducting and 
        murdering young children;
            (2) several states have begun the development and 
        implementation of outfitting convicted sexual offenders with 
        Global Positioning Systems to track their movements while on 
        probation;
            (3) the employment of these devices will assist law 
        enforcement in tracking the movements and location of 
        probationers in real time to within 10 ft. of their location;
            (4) Global Positioning System tracking will permit law 
        enforcement to ensure that convicted sex offenders do not go to 
        areas restricted according to the terms of their probation;
            (5) Global Positioning Systems will serve to deter sexual 
        predators from re-offending as they will know that their 
        movements are monitored and tracked by law enforcement; and
            (6) in the event that a convicted sexual offender commits 
        an additional sex offense while on probation and monitored with 
        a Global Positioning System, the Global Positioning System 
        technology will aid law enforcement in the investigation of 
        these crimes by quickly determining the location of sexual 
        offenders within the area of the suspected crime.

SEC. 3. SEXUAL PREDATOR MONITORING PROGRAM.

    (a) Grants Authorized.--
            (1) In general.--The Attorney General is authorized to 
        award grants and contracts to State and local governments to 
        assist such States and local governments in--
                    (A) carrying out programs to outfit sexual 
                offenders with electronic monitoring units; and
                    (B) the employment of law enforcement officials 
                necessary to carry out such programs.
            (2) Duration.--The Secretary shall award grants under this 
        Act for a period not to exceed 3 years.
    (b) Application.--
            (1) In general.--Each State or local government desiring a 
        grant under this Act shall submit an application to the 
        Attorney General at such time, in such manner, and accompanied 
        by such information as the Attorney General may reasonably 
        require.
            (2) Contents.--Each application submitted pursuant to 
        paragraph (1) shall--
                    (A) describe the activities for which assistance 
                under this Act is sought; and
                    (B) provide such additional assurances as the 
                Attorney General determines to be essential to ensure 
                compliance with the requirements of this Act.

SEC. 4. PROPORTIONAL SHARE.

    The Attorney General shall ensure that each State with eligible 
programs receives a proportional share of funding under this Act based 
on the total number of eligible States and the population of sex 
offenders to be monitored with global positioning systems in those 
States.

SEC. 5. DEFINITION.

    In this Act, the term ``sexual offender'' means an offender 18 
years of age or older who commits a sexual offense against a minor.

SEC. 6. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    (a) In General.--There are authorized to be appropriated 
$10,000,000 for fiscal year 2006 and $20,000,000 for fiscal year 2007 
to carry out this Act.
    (b) Report.--Not later than April 1, 2007, the Attorney General 
shall report to Congress--
            (1) assessing the effectiveness and value of this Act; and
            (2) making recommendations for continuing funding and the 
        appropriate levels for such funding.
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