[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 115 (Tuesday, August 16, 1994)]
[House]
[Page H]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: August 16, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
             IN SUPPORT OF THE DUNN-DEAL MOTION TO INSTRUCT

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Klink). Under the Speaker's announced 
policy of February 11, 1994, and June 10, 1994, the gentlewoman from 
Washington [Ms. Dunn] is recognized during morning business for 5 
minutes.
  Ms. DUNN. Mr. Speaker, with the recent national media attention given 
to the sexual predator language in the crime bill in the New York and 
LA Times, I want to take this opportunity to reiterate my support for 
opening up the conference to include the original Dunn-Deal motion. The 
language instructs conferees on the crime bill to encourage States to 
establish registration and tracking procedures and community 
notification with respect to released sexually violent predators. This 
same language was accepted by unanimous consent as a part of the Senate 
crime bill and overwhelmingly supported in the House by a vote of 407 
to 13.
  Mr. Speaker, the House sent a precise message to conferees on the 
importance not only of registration and tracking provision, but of 
notification when a sexually violent predator has moved into a 
community. But the will of the U.S. Congress was ignored. I believe 
that American women and families deserve better.
  Mr. Speaker, community notification is a proven approach. The 
legislative language is modeled after a successful Washington State law 
and will monitor sexually violent predators--including those convicted 
of stalking--wherever they may locate once they are released from 
prison, even if they move across State lines. Washington State leads 
the Nation in coping with this small group of criminals who terrorize 
primarily women in their neighborhoods, homes, and workplaces.
  When rapists, women-beaters, or convicted violent stalker's are 
released into the community, the women in that community have a right 
to know. In fact, the Washington State Supreme Court already has ruled 
that this type of law is constitutional.
  Already, both the House and Senate have passed legislation that 
requires law enforcement officials to notify communities when child 
molesters and others who pose a threat to children are released. That 
is right and good: a warning that society owes to parents and their 
children.
  In the same way, our society owes to its women some notification that 
a predator is being released. And law enforcement officials should be 
encouraged to track their movements just as they do for those who have 
committed crimes against children.
  By contrast, Mr. Speaker, the language that is being proposed in the 
conference report unacceptably weakens community notification, and 
instead protects the rights of criminals. Law-abiding citizens, 
especially women, have a right to know when a predator is being 
released into their community.
  What is the point of registering and tracking these convicted 
predators if we are not going to share that information with the very 
citizens who are at risk? How can we justify knowing where a sexual 
predator has located, and not notify the women and families in that 
neighborhood, especially when so many of them move across State lines 
to settle next door to one of our constituents. The rate of recidivism 
for these crimes is astronomical because these people are compulsive. 
We know that. And that is why it is incumbent upon us to ensure that 
community notification is encouraged. Without the community 
notification, the effort is reduced to the simple collection of data.
  I would hope the House would recognize this fact and open up the 
conference report to strengthen this important language.
  The next time a young girl is attacked by one of these repeat 
offenders it should rest heavy upon the conscience for every conferee 
who voted to weaken this provision. The problem of sexually violent 
predators has unfortunately become too widespread in our society. We 
need only recall the recent tragic case of young Megan Kanka, of New 
Jersey, lured to her death by a repeat sexual offender, who told her he 
had a new puppy in his house or of Polly Klaas of Petaluma, CA, who was 
snatched from her home and brutally murdered. Yet, the conferees felt 
it necessary to protect the rights of criminals instead of protecting 
the rights of the citizens from a predator.
  Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the women who work here on Capitol Hill, on 
behalf of the millions of women across the country and in every 
congressional district represented here, I respectfully ask that the 
House open up the conference and give us a bill that we would be proud 
to take back to our constituents.

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