On October 20, the Senate Judiciary Committee approved, by voice vote, a legislative package (S. 1086) that includes a number of proposals aimed at protecting children from sexual predators. The House approved a similar bill (H.R. 3132) on September 14 (see The Source, 9/16/05).
Sponsored by Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT), the Jacob Wetterling, Megan Nicole Kanka, and Pam Lyncher Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act would require a sex offender to register in each jurisdiction where he or she lives, works, or attends school. Registration would be updated regularly for the offender’s entire life in the case of a sex offense against a minor or a serious sex offense, and for 20 years in any other case. S. 1086 would establish a National Sex Offender Registry and would require the Department of Justice to maintain a website that would allow the public to access the registry. The bill also would establish a Sex Offender Management Assistance program to assist jurisdictions with the costs of maintaining local registries. Jurisdictions found to be in noncompliance with the bill’s requirements after two years could lose 10 percent of their allotted funding under the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grants Program. Finally, the measure would authorize a demonstration project on the use of electronic monitoring devices in sex offender management programs.
During consideration of the bill, the committee approved, by voice vote, a substitute amendment offered by Sen. Hatch that would incorporate the text of the Jetseta Gage Prevention and Deterrence of Crimes Against Children Act (S. 956). Sponsored by Sen. Charles Grassley (R-IA), the bill would increase penalties for individuals who commit crimes against children, including death or life in prison if the crime results in death, 30 years to life for kidnapping or aggravated sexual abuse, 20 years to life if the crime results in bodily injury, 15 years to life if a dangerous weapon was used in the crime, and 10 years to life for any other crime involving a minor. In addition, the bill would set forth a specific timeline for courts to review cases involving violent crimes against children.
The substitute also would incorporate the text of the Dru Sjodin National Sex Offender Public Database Act (S. 792), which the Senate approved on July 28 (see The Source, 7/29/05).
Finally, the substitute would allow states to establish three levels concerning a sex offender’s risk of committing another offense and the degree of danger to the public.
