On July 27, 2006, President Bush signed into law the bipartisan "Adam Walsh Child Protection & Safety Act." At President Bush's side were John and Reve Walsh and other parents of children who tragically, never made it home. It's only fitting that the toughest legislation in 25 years is named in honor of Adam Walsh, who never made it home and whose parents have fought so hard for our nation's children.
Of the 550,000 registered sex offenders nationally, the whereabouts of about 100,000 are currently unknown. The Adam Walsh Act creates stricter requirements for sex offender registration -- to prevent offenders from slipping through the cracks and hurting our children. One of the most important features of the bill is the creation of a national sex offender registry that will be available on the Internet. The legislation also calls for stricter prison sentences for offenders who fail to register and keep their information current. The offender will be assigned to one of three tiers; the worst offenders will have to check-in more frequently, and all offenders will have to register in person.
The Coalition to Fund The Adam Walsh Child Protection & Safety Act - Fund Adam - was formed to insure that this landmark legislation is funded and implemented. Fund Adam aims to insure that the promises this law makes to our Nation's children are kept.
Some Highlights Of The Bill:
- Establishes a comprehensive national system for the registration of sex offenders.
- Establishes three tiers of sex offenders.
- Requires all jurisdictions to enact criminal penalties for sex offenders who fail to comply with registration requirements.
- Requires sex offenders to appear in person to verify their registration.
- Imposes a fine and/or term of imprisonment for up to 20 years on sex offenders who knowingly fail to register.
- Makes registration as a sex offender a mandatory condition of probation and supervised release.
- Eliminates the statute of limitations for prosecutions of child abduction and felony sex offenses against children.
- Directs the Attorney General to provide technical assistance to jurisdictions to help identify and locate sex offenders relocated due to a major disaster.