[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 95 (Thursday, July 14, 2005)]
[Senate]
[Pages S8321-S8322]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. NELSON of Florida (for himself and Mrs. Clinton):
  S. 1407. A bill to provide grants to States and local governments to 
assess the effectiveness of sexual predator electronic monitoring 
programs; to the Committee on the Judiciary.
  Mr. NELSON of Florida. Mr. President, I rise today on behalf of 
myself and Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York, to introduce the 
Jessica Lunsford and Sarah Lunde Act. This bill will provide grants for 
State and local governments to purchase the technology they need to 
enhance monitoring of sexual predators.
  This bill and the grants it provides are named after two young girls 
from Florida, Jessica Lunsford and Sarah Lunde, who were both murdered 
by convicted sex offenders. As the Lunsford and Lunde families mourned 
these two beautiful girls, the Nation grieved with them. We are all 
united in our desire to make sure that everything can be done to 
prevent this from ever happening again. I hope this bill will serve as 
a living memorial to Jessica Lunsford and Sarah Lunde, and serve as 
some comfort to their families, as the grants in their names provided 
in this bill will allow law enforcement to help prevent other families 
from suffering similar tragedies.
  Jessica Lunsford of Homosassa, FL, was a nine-year-old girl abducted 
from her home, raped, and then buried alive by a convicted sex offender 
who lived 150 feet from her home. Law enforcement had lost track of her 
confessed murderer and did not know that he worked at the nearby school 
that Jessica attended, despite his being a registered sex offender. A 
few weeks following the news of this tragedy, 13-year-old Sarah Lunde 
of Ruskin, FL, was murdered by her mother's ex-boyfriend. He is also a 
convicted sex offender.
  The Jessica Lunsford and Sarah Lunde grants provided for in this bill 
will allow States and local government to purchase electronic 
monitoring systems, like global positioning systems, that will provide 
law enforcement with real time information on the whereabouts of sex 
offenders released from prison to within 10 feet of their location. Law 
enforcement will be able to restrict the movements of sex offenders by 
programming these systems to alert authorities if a sex offender goes 
to a park, amusement park, elementary school or other areas determined 
to be off-limits. The ankle-bracelets used to monitor their movement 
are tamper proof and will alert law enforcement in the event that an 
offender has removed it so law enforcement can immediately act to 
apprehend the offender.
  In the United States there are an estimated 380,000 registered sex 
offenders, although thousands have disappeared, according to 
authorities. We have over

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30,000 of these sex offenders in the State of Florida. In response to 
the recent tragedies in Florida, Idaho, and North Dakota, several 
States have enacted stronger laws to protect our children from sex 
predators. In Florida, for example, the legislature passed a law that 
will provide tougher sentences for child sex offenders, and aid law 
enforcement in effectively monitoring those sex offenders. This law 
will require sex offenders, released back into our communities, to wear 
a bracelet that will have a global positioning system track them.
  I applaud the initiative by Florida, and other States seeking to pass 
similar laws, and I believe that it is important that there is an 
appropriate Federal response that will be supportive of the States and 
local governments that are addressing this problem. To be effective, 
tough laws on these sexual predators of children must be properly 
funded, and I believe these tough laws being passed by state 
legislatures are worth properly funding when they will protect our 
children.
  The Jessica Lunsford and Sarah Lunde Act will support State and local 
governments that, like Florida, are attempting to protect their 
children by providing greater monitoring tools for law enforcement. 
This bill will provide a total of $30 million in grants to States to 
help implement State laws to get tougher on sex offenders released back 
into their communities with electronic monitoring technology. The bill 
will provide for $10 million in grants for fiscal years 2006 through 
2008. The bill then directs the Attorney General to provide a report to 
Congress assessing the effectiveness of the program and making 
recommendations as to future funding levels.
  There are no silver bullets to stop sexual predators from preying on 
our children, but I believe that tough laws, such as the new Florida 
statute, are going to go a long way in preventing sex offenders from 
re-offending.
  I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the 
Record.
  There being no objection, the bill was ordered to be printed in the 
Record, as follows:

                                S. 1407

       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 ``Jessica Lunsford and Sarah 
     Lunde Act''.

     SEC. 2. SEXUAL PREDATOR MONITORING PROGRAM.

       (a) Grants Authorized.--
       (1) In general.--The Attorney General is authorized to 
     award grants (referred to as ``Jessica Lunsford and Sarah 
     Lunde Grants'') 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. 3. INNOVATION.

       In making grants under this Act, the Attorney General shall 
     ensure that different approaches to monitoring are funded to 
     allow an assessment of effectiveness.

     SEC. 4. 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. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

       (a) In General.--There are authorized to be appropriated 
     $10,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2006 through 2008 to 
     carry out this Act.
       (b) Report.--Not later than April 1, 2008, the Attorney 
     General shall report to Congress--
       (1) assessing the effectiveness and value of programs 
     funded by this Act;
       (2) comparing the cost-effectiveness of the electronic 
     monitoring to reduce sex offenses compared to other 
     alternatives; and
       (3) making recommendations for continuing funding and the 
     appropriate levels for such funding.
                                 ______