Us Code § 21501 - Findings
Full text of Us Code United States Code § 21501 — Findings, with citation guidance and answers to common questions.
§ 21501. Findings
Congress finds the following:
(1) Megan Nicole Kanka, who was 7 years old, was abducted, sexually assaulted, and murdered in 1994, in the State of New Jersey by a violent predator living across the street from her home. Unbeknownst to Megan Kanka and her family, he had been convicted previously of a sex offense against a child.
(2) In 1996, Congress adopted Megan's Law (Public Law 104–145) as a means to encourage States to protect children by identifying the whereabouts of sex offenders and providing the means to monitor their activities.
(3) In 2006, Congress passed the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006 (Public Law 109–248) to protect children and the public at large by establishing a comprehensive national system for the registration and notification to the public and law enforcement officers of convicted sex offenders.
(4) Law enforcement reports indicate that known child-sex offenders are traveling internationally.
(5) The commercial sexual exploitation of minors in child sex trafficking and pornography is a global phenomenon. The International Labour Organization has estimated that 1,8000,000 1 children worldwide are victims of child sex trafficking and pornography each year.
(6) Child sex tourism, where an individual travels to a foreign country and engages in sexual activity with a child in that country, is a form of child exploitation and, where commercial, child sex trafficking.
(Pub. L. 114–119, §2, Feb. 8, 2016, 130 Stat. 15.)
Editorial Notes
References in Text
Megan's Law, referred to in par. (2), is Pub. L. 104–145, May 17, 1996, 110 Stat. 1345, which amended former section 14071 of Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title of 1996 Amendments note set out under section 13701 of Title 42 and Tables.
The Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006, referred to in par. (3), is Pub. L. 109–248, July 27, 2006, 120 Stat. 587, which enacted chapter 209 (§20901 et seq.) of this title and enacted, amended, and repealed numerous other sections and notes in the Code. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title of 2006 Act note set out under section 10101 of this title and Tables.
Codification
Section was formerly classified to section 16935 of Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare, prior to editorial reclassification and renumbering as this section.
About This Section
34 U.S.C. § 21501 is part of Title 34 of the United States Code. The United States Code is the official codification of federal statutes maintained by the Office of the Law Revision Counsel of the U.S. House of Representatives. Congress amends the Code through new public laws, which are eventually incorporated into the relevant title.
This section may be cited in legal writing as 34 U.S.C. § 21501. For the most current official text, including any recent amendments, use the official source links below. Do not rely on this page as the sole authority for legal citation or litigation.
How to Read This Statute
Statutes are organized by title, chapter, section, and subsection. Pay attention to words like "shall," "may," "and," and "or," because they determine whether a requirement is mandatory or permissive and whether multiple conditions must all be met. Historical notes and amendments often appear at the end of a section.
Using This Page
This page is intended for research and educational use. Lawyers, students, journalists, and compliance professionals can use it as a starting point, but should always verify the current text through an official government source before relying on it for legal advice, filings, or compliance decisions.