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| Wilson Says Major New School Safety Law Being Implemented |
October 13, 2006 |
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| Wilson-Cosponsored Law Helps Protect Children from Dangerous Adults
Albuquerque – Congresswoman Heather Wilson today said the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006 (H.R. 4472), a portion of which she cosponsored, was signed into law on July 27, 2006. The new law, which she supported, took effect immediately and is being implemented across the country to help keep kids safe.
Wilson cosponsored the School Acquiring Faculty Excellence Act (H.R. 4894), a bipartisan bill which was passed overwhelmingly by the House of June 13, then included as part of the Adam Walsh Child Protection Act, now law. It establishes a national crime information database to protect students by helping screen potential school employees across state lines when making school employment decisions.
“Schools should be safe learning environments for our children,” Wilson said. “This bill helps schools screen, across state lines, for felonies or past convictions of sexual or physical abuse.”
Among many new child protection features, the new law directs the Attorney General, at the request of state education officials, to conduct fingerprint-based checks of potential public or private school employees, job applicants, or volunteers for positions that involve working with and around children. That action was a priority of the House Suburban Caucus, of which Rep. Wilson is a member.
The new law also restricts the disclosure of any information, and imposes criminal penalties for unauthorized use or release of information obtained through these background checks.
The Adam Walsh act includes the establishment of a comprehensive national system for the registration of sex offenders and offenders against children. The law establishes new resources and procedures for law enforcement to help protect children throughout the nation.
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