[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 105 (Wednesday, August 3, 1994)]
[Senate]
[Page S]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: August 3, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                              CHILD ABUSE

  Mr. LAUTENBERG. Mr. President, yesterday the Senate accepted an 
amendment that I proposed to the Improving America's School Act of 1993 
which is designed to protect the children of this country who ride to 
and from school on a schoolbus.
  Mr. President, the woeful truth is that these children need 
protection from the people who drive their schoolbus. We all recognized 
the unfortunate fact that some people are attracted to the teaching 
profession because it gives them easy access to the children who are 
the focus of their sexual desire. What we do not recognize--or take 
precautions against--is the fact that some people drive schoolbuses for 
the same very reason--access to children.
  Children who ride on schoolbuses, particularly those in their early 
years, the elementary school years, are extremely vulnerable to 
physical abuse. They are too young to comprehend what is being done to 
them and they are too small to physically defend themselves from an 
attack. Therefore, it is the responsibility of society to offer as much 
protection as possible to this vulnerable population.
  My amendment recognizes that responsibility by requiring all States 
to do a Federal background check on potential schoolbus drivers before 
they are allowed to be alone with our children.
  School bus drivers are unique. They are alone with students off 
school property, often for extended periods of time.
  Mr. President, we know that most of these people, by far, are good, 
law-abiding citizens, often parents themselves, who have no intentions 
to molest or attack children. But there are the others, and we have to 
guard against them.
  I believe, as I hope do many of my colleagues, that parents deserve 
to know who is alone with their children.
  At present, 18 States already conduct State and Federal background 
checks on their drivers. My amendment would not affect how these States 
administer their programs.
  There are 14 States which currently only do State background checks. 
My bill would require those States to redirect the resources they are 
putting into these background checks towards a Federal program. While 
the intent of these State programs are good, they are flawed. A 
convicted sexual deviant can easily move to one of these States, 
receive a clean background check, and begin driving his prey to and 
from school.
  Then there are the 18 States which have no background checks for 
their school bus drivers. There is no rational reason for the lack of 
responsibility these States are demonstrating in this area.
  Is this a real problem? Unfortunately, it is. I have article after 
article identifying incident after incident of sexual abuse of pupils 
by their school bus driver. I would be happy to make these available to 
any Member who is interested in seeing them.
  The question arises whether or not Federal background checks work. I 
believe they will. My amendment would also require--and there may be 
some inconvenience here--the fingerprinting of prospective drivers so 
their true identity can not be hidden.
  During the 2 months after California instituted Federal criminal 
background checks in 1990, it screened out 150 convicted sex offenders, 
child molesters and violent criminals who tried to get permits to drive 
schoolbuses. That tells us something. This is shocking and my amendment 
will address this problem.
  Mr. President, on any given school day, 25 million children ride in 
school- buses. For the vast majority of these children, the trip will 
be safe and uneventful. Unfortunately, for some it will be a nightmare 
that will affect them for the rest of their lives. So when that 
amendment passed yesterday, Mr. President, I was relieved.
  I appreciate the fact that my colleagues support this amendment to 
protect children on their ride to and from school. I look forward to 
working with the conferees on the Improving America's Schools Act in 
order to ensure that Federal background checks for schoolbus drivers 
remains in the bill after conference.

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