Senate Cracks Down on Sex Offenders

The U.S. Senate passed extensive legislation yesterday aimed at cracking down on people convicted of sex crimes against children.

Sponsored by Sen. Orrin Hatch, the legislation would, among other things, enhance penalties for those convicted of certain sex crimes and provide funding for a public database linking state-managed sex offender lists.

The creation of a national sex offender registry would replace the current state-to-state system of databases, enabling the general public to search the data.

To follow offenders more closely, the bill would also appropriate funds for states to outfit convicted sex offenders with tracking devices. The legislation would additionally require sex offenders to report their whereabouts in person on a monthly basis.

Under current law, convicted sex offenders must register annually by mail. The penalty for failing to report according to the new guidelines would increase from a misdemeanor to a felony.

In March, the House passed a similar measure as part of a more extensive crime bill. The Senate and House bills differ on a variety of issues and must be reconciled before being sent to the president for approval.