PRINTER'S NO. 2375
No. 380 Session of 2005
INTRODUCED BY REICHLEY, BAKER, BALDWIN, BARRAR, BEBKO-JONES,
BOYD, BUNT, CALTAGIRONE, CAPPELLI, CLYMER, CRAHALLA, DALEY,
DALLY, DENLINGER, DiGIROLAMO, DONATUCCI, GABIG, GEIST,
GILLESPIE, GINGRICH, GRELL, GRUCELA, HARHAI, HARRIS,
HENNESSEY, HERMAN, HERSHEY, JAMES, KAUFFMAN, MANN,
McILHATTAN, MELIO, MUSTIO, MYERS, O'NEILL, PETRARCA,
PHILLIPS, PICKETT, PISTELLA, READSHAW, RUBLEY, SCAVELLO,
SHANER, B. SMITH, STABACK, TIGUE, TRUE, YOUNGBLOOD AND ZUG,
JUNE 29, 2005
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON JUDICIARY, JUNE 29, 2005
A RESOLUTION
1 Supporting a National Sex Offender Public Registry (NSOPR)
2 website.
3 WHEREAS, Forty-eight states have developed and maintained
4 state sex offender registries which may be accessed by the
5 public; and
6 WHEREAS, Calls for a nationwide database of sex offenders
7 have gained support in the wake of several high-profile violent
8 crimes involving sex offenders and multiple jurisdictions; and
9 WHEREAS, Strong concerns have been voiced by victims' rights
10 groups and lawmakers regarding the possibility that dangerous
11 sexual predators may be able to avoid registration requirements
12 and evade detection by moving across state lines; and
13 WHEREAS, The United States Department of Justice announced on
14 May 20, 2005, the expedited design, development and delivery of
1 an NSOPR website; and
2 WHEREAS, According to Department of Justice officials, the
3 agency is planning to have the first phase of the NSOPR project
4 available online within 60 days, featuring access to offender
5 registries from a minimum of 20 states; and
6 WHEREAS, The stated goal of the Department of Justice is to
7 include the remaining states and territories by fall 2005; and
8 WHEREAS, The Department of Justice has pledged to work with
9 officials in the two states which do not currently have state
10 registries, Rhode Island and Oregon, to ensure full
11 participation in the NSOPR; and
12 WHEREAS, The Department of Justice proposes to interface with
13 all states and territories to link their public registries to
14 the NSOPR at no cost; therefore be it
15 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the
16 Commonwealth of Pennsylvania support the efforts of the
17 Department of Justice to establish and maintain the NSOPR; and
18 be it further
19 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives support the scope
20 of the planned website, which will allow the public to search
21 all existing state and territory sex offender registries for the
22 latest information on the identify and location of known sex
23 offenders; and be it further
24 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives support the
25 purpose of the website, which will provide parents and other
26 concerned citizens with immediate, free and real-time access to
27 sex offender information nationwide through a computer search
28 based on a name, zip code, geographical area or other query; and
29 be it further
30 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives commend the
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1 Department of Justice on the proposed formation of a national
2 registry which can offer parents, grandparents, caregivers,
3 communities and law enforcement entities an enhanced ability to
4 protect children by identifying sex offenders nationwide through
5 a single search from a home or office computer, a local library
6 or other location with Internet access; and be it further
7 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives urge the
8 Department of Justice to expedite the full development of the
9 NSOPR website in as timely a manner as possible and to
10 effectively disseminate information to the public as to the
11 availability of this valuable public safety resource; and be it
12 further
13 RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to
14 the United States Attorney General, to the Department of Justice
15 and to the members of Congress from Pennsylvania.
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