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Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006

Date: July 25, 2006
Location: Washington, DC
Issues: Criminal Justice


ADAM WALSH CHILD PROTECTION AND SAFETY ACT OF 2006 -- (House of Representatives - July 25, 2006)

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Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 4472, the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006 that will revamp this country's sex offenders registration system. This bill is named in honor of Adam Walsh, the son of John and Reve Walsh, who was abducted 25 years ago. Through the strength and perseverance of John and Reve, they turned the gut wrenching tragedy of the abduction and killing of their son Adam into a lifelong crusade to protect the children of others. The bill before us today is another weapon in this country's arsenal to protect our children from what seems to be an epidemic of abduction and exploitation.

The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) estimates that today there are more that 563,000 sex offenders that are ``supposed'' to be registered in this country. Unfortunately, approximately 100,000 of these offenders are currently unaccounted for and therefore, are under the watchful eye of no one.

H.R. 4472 will create a National registry that will provide enhanced information on a uniform basis thereby replacing a patchwork of individual systems administered and maintained by each State. Through this bill, sex offenders will have the same requirements to register throughout the country. Sex offenders will be required to register before they are released from prison to insure that they don't slip through the cracks. Moreover, this bill will impose stiff penalties for failing to register by imposing a felony.

While we can never do enough to protect our children, this bill does tighten the weave of the safety net through which many predators have slipped. A uniform national registry of sexual predators will assist law enforcement, parents, and concerned citizens in their vigilance and awareness of who is lurking on our neighborhood waiting to rob our children of their innocence and, all too often, of their lives.

We owe a special debt of gratitude to the bipartisan group of legislators who steered this bill successfully through Conference, the Walshes, and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children for making this national registry a reality.

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