U.S. Rep. Chris Smith (R-Hamilton) alongside Richard and Maureen Kanka unveiled his new legislation to combat sex offenders worldwide, the International Megan’s Law, at a press conference today at Megan Nicole Kanka Memorial Park. 

    “Our national and various state versions of Megan’s Law have revolutionized how we deal with predators. The Kankas wrote the book on neighborhood notification and protection of children and families through information. We all owe an enormous debt to Maureen and Richard for taking a horrific tragedy that is unbearable and turning it into a cause to protect children in the US and now internationally,” said Rep. Smith, the author of the nation’s first anti-trafficking law, the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act (PL 106-386) and its two subsequent reauthorizations (PL 108-193 & 109-164). 

    The International Megan’s Law—which will formally be introduced when the House of Representatives reconvenes tomorrow—will build upon the original state and federal Megan’s Law concept of notification and bring the program worldwide. 

    “This is something we have been hoping to achieve for a very long time and the identification program should be made mandatory. Chris Smith has championed the effort in the House and we are looking to make it as successful internationally as it has been in the US,” said Richard Kanka who further remarked, “Rep. Smith’s compassion for human rights is paramount and needed for the success of this legislation.” 

    “Our kids are the future for everyone and every country has to safeguard all of their children,” said Maureen Kanka. 

    On July 29, 1994, seven year old Megan Kanka, a Hamilton, NJ resident, was kidnapped, raped, and brutally murdered. The assailant, Jesse Timmendequas, was a repeated sex offender living across the street, unbeknownst to residents living in the neighborhood. Public outcry of the tragedy and hard work by the Kankas prompted the New Jersey State Legislature to pass the original Megan’s Law (NJSA 2C: 7-1 through 7-II) to require public notification of convicted sex offenders living in the community. Federal legislation followed and was signed into law on May 17, 1996 (PL 104-145) and strengthened in 2006 (PL 109-248). 

    Specifically, Smith’s International Megan’s Law will:

• Establish a system that provides notice to foreign government officials when a known sex offender in the United States intends to travel to their country;
• Ensure that foreign nationals who have committed a sex offense are denied entry into the United States;
• Include strict penalties for non-compliance by sex offenders and;
• Requires the State Department to report annually to Congress regarding the establishment of systems to identify and provide notice of international travel by sex offenders to destination countries

Click to Watch WZBN News Coverage of Press Conference