[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 137 (Thursday, October 17, 2002)]
[Senate]
[Page S10709]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. DODD (for himself and Ms. Collins):
  S. 3140. A bill to assist law enforcement in their efforts to recover 
missing children and to clarify the standards for State sex offender 
registration programs; to the Committee on the Judiciary.
  Mr. DODD. Mr. President, I am pleased to join with my colleague from 
Maine, Senator Collins to introduce the Prevention and Recovery of 
Missing Children Act of 2002, to improve the recovery of missing 
children and the tracking of convicted sexual offenders and child 
predators.
  Sexual offenders pose an enormous challenge for policy makers. They 
create unparalleled fear among citizens, and most of their victims are 
children and youth. Two-thirds of imprisoned sex offenders report that 
their victims were under age 18, and nearly half report that their 
victims are ages 12 and younger.
  Last year, several newspapers across the country, including the 
Hartford Courant, highlighted the inadequacy of reporting information 
in missing child cases and the lack of tracking of convicted sex 
offenders and known child predators. One tragic example reported a 
convicted sex offender who moved from Massachusetts to Montana, where 
police were never contacted about his history. He brutally murdered 
several Montana children before he was apprehended, and was later 
linked to 54 cases of child abduction and molestation in several 
States. In many cases, convicted sex offenders and child predators slip 
through law enforcement loopholes and continue to prey on children.
  Over the last decade, Congress enacted several laws designed to 
improve the tracking of convicted sex offenders and improve the 
recovery of missing children, including The Jacob Wetterling Crimes 
Against Children and Sexually Violent Offender Registration Act of 
1994; Megan's Law of 1996; and The Pam Lyncher Sex Offender Tracking 
and Identification Act of 1996. Collectively, these acts established 
minimum standards for State sex offender registration programs and 
created systems to track convicted sex offenders.
  While these current Federal laws address the main features of an 
effective registry system, the discretion over registry details and 
procedures is left up to the States. This has led to a lack of 
consistency and wide disparities between States. For example, State 
requirements for sex offender notification of registration changes 
range from 1 day to 40 days, and State requirements for a sex offender 
to register an address after moving to a new State range from 48 hours 
to 70 days.
  In addition, many States place the burden to notify changes in 
registry information solely on the sex offender. We need to tighten 
registry systems so that law enforcement in all States is better 
equipped to track sexual offenders. This bill strengthens the registry 
foundation for all States built upon the practices already in place in 
some States. It builds on successful practices to better protect our 
communities nationwide.
  The tracking of released sex offenders is critical to protecting our 
children. Most sex offenders are not in prison, about 60 percent of 
convicted sex offenders are under conditional supervision in the 
community, and those who are in prison often serve limited sentences. 
This is of great concern because sex offenders, particularly if 
untreated, are at risk of re-offending.
  This bill makes several important changes to improve the tracking of 
sex offenders and the recovery of missing children. The bill: amends 
the definition of ``minimally sufficient program'' to include: the 
registration of all convicted sex offenders prior to release; the 
collection of information to assist in tracking individuals, including 
a DNA sample, current photograph, driver's license and vehicle 
information; and verification of address and employment information for 
all offenders every 90 days; amends penalties for non-compliance with 
registry requirements. It provides that State programs must designate 
non-compliance as a felony and permits the issuance of a warrant. This 
provision is intended to encourage compliance by offenders as well as 
provide a tool for prosecutors; improves the chances for recovering 
missing children and aides law enforcement in solving cases by 
preventing the removal of missing children from the National Crime 
Information Center (NCIC) database and making sure that convicted sex 
offenders do not become exempt from the lifetime registration 
requirement; improves the chances for recovery of missing children by 
requiring entry of child information into the NCIC database within 2 
hours.
  We must make the tracking of convicted sex offenders and the post-
release supervision of child sexual predators a higher priority. It is 
not enough to ensure that an offender completes his sentence.
  Since most sexual offenders are in the community, we must ensure that 
there is continuing contact and supervision of released sexual 
offenders. We have an obligation to protect our children from sexual 
offenders and sexual predators who prey on our children.
  I urge my colleagues to join us in supporting this legislation.
                                 ______