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#113th Congress (2013-2014): International Megan s Law to Prevent Demand for Child Sex Trafficking

Summary: H.R.4573 113th Congress (2013-2014)All Bill Information (Except Text)

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Reported to Senate without amendment (12/11/2014)

(This measure has not been amended since it was passed by the House on May 20, 2014. The summary of that version is repeated here.)

International Megan's Law to Prevent Demand for Child Sex Trafficking - (Sec. 4) Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS) to establish within the Child Exploitation Investigations Unit of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) the Angel Watch Center, which shall: (1) receive information on travel by child-sex offenders; (2) establish a system to maintain and archive all relevant information, including decisions not to transmit notification abroad and responses of destination countries to notifications; (3) establish an annual review process to ensure that the Center is consistent in procedures regarding providing notification to destination countries; and (4) establish a mechanism to receive complaints from child-sex offenders affected by notifications of destination countries.

Authorizes the Center to transmit notice to a destination country (including to such country's visa-issuing agents in the United States) of impending or current international travel of a child-sex offender to such country. Requires the Secretary, in conjunction with any appropriate agency, if the Center transmits such notice to a destination country, to make reasonable efforts to provide constructive notice through electronic or telephonic communication to the child-sex offender prior to such offender's arrival in such country, except when such constructive notice would conflict with an existing investigation involving the offender. Requires the Center to make reasonable efforts to provide constructive notice to such offender if the Center has reason to believe that transmitting notice to a destination country: (1) poses a risk to the life or well-being of the offender, or (2) is highly likely to result in the destination country denying entry to the offender. Terminates the authority of the Center to transmit such notice of international travel of a child-sex offender as of the close of the last day of the registration period of such offender under the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006 (Walsh Act).

Directs the Center to establish a mechanism to receive complaints from child-sex offenders affected by notifications of destination countries.

Requires the Center to engage in ongoing consultations with: (1) nongovernmental organizations that have experience in identifying and preventing child sex tourism and rescuing and rehabilitating minor victims of international sexual exploitation and trafficking, (2) the governments of countries interested in cooperating in the creation of an international sex offender travel notification system or that are primary destination or source countries for international sex tourism, and (3) Internet service and software providers regarding technology to facilitate the implementation of an international sex offender travel notification system in the United States and in other countries.

Authorizes the Secretary of Homeland Security and the Secretary of State to provide technical assistance to enable foreign authorities to participate more effectively in the notification program system.

(Sec. 5) Expresses the sense of Congress that the President should: (1) negotiate bilateral agreements with foreign governments to further the purposes of this Act; and (2) formally request foreign governments to notify the United States when a U.S. citizen has been arrested, convicted, or sentenced or has completed a prison sentence for a child-sex offense in the foreign country.

(Sec. 6) Amends the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 to include, as indicia of serious and sustained efforts to eliminate severe forms of trafficking in persons, a country's cooperation with other governments in the investigation and prosecution of such trafficking, including trafficking related to sex tourism.

(Sec. 7) Encourages the President to use authorities under the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to assist foreign countries in identifying sex offenders and providing and receiving notification of child sex offender international travel.