mr. chairman , our nation has a solemn responsibility to protect the most innocent among us , our children . 
the children 's safety act of 2005 , introduced by our chairman , the gentleman from wisconsin ( mr. sensenbrenner ) xz4003650 , will help to ensure that sex offenders are registered properly and that they maintain their registration wherever they reside . 
i originally sought to offer an amendment to this important bill that would have required states to ensure that sex offenders are properly registered before they are issued a driver 's license and in doing so mandate that their license would have to be renewed every single year . 
the state of nevada passed a law earlier this year that does just that . 
the purpose of such a requirement is to add another layer of protection for the children and families of our communities . 
in short , if a sex offender refuses to keep their registration current , which is now a problem facing too many states , then he would be unable to obtain a legal driver 's license . 
this means that the sex offender is at risk at any time of being caught driving without a license and arrested . 
i think that this threat can serve as a useful deterrent and encourage sex offenders to maintain their registration -- in fact , improving the registration compliance rate of these offenders . 
in a state where over 30 percent of sex offenders are non-compliant and lost in the system , we took these very same steps in nevada to ensure a greater compliance rate . 
we simply must do everything we can to protect our children and prevent sexual crimes against them . 
i am proud that nevada is a leader in this nation in having modern , efficient computer systems that will allow it to implement this licensing procedure . 
unfortunately , several other states have not yet fully updated their dmv and criminal registry systems . 
as a result , concerns have been raised regarding the cost on other states of such a system , and these concerns should be addressed . 
in consideration of these concerns , my amendment today will require the gao to study the feasibility and costs of this driver 's license requirement . 
this amendment also will require the gao to study what type of federal grant program may be needed to assist the states with implementing this requirement . 
this study will also seek the opinions and expertise of federal and state law enforcement to ensure that this additional reform of our sex offender laws assists them in protecting our children . 
finally , my amendment calls on the gao to study the effectiveness of nevada 's state law so that congress and this nation can learn from my state how this system might work on a national level and how we can do a better job in monitoring sex offenders . 
since i think that it is prudent for all states to follow nevada 's lead , i will also introduce stand-alone legislation today that will require states to begin implementing nevada 's driver 's license requirement . 
however , i understand the importance of ensuring appropriate resources are provided , and will work with mr. sensenbrenner to study this issue so we can move forward in implementing these regulations to protect our children and prevent these horrible crimes . 
i look forward to gathering the necessary information and finding a legislative solution that will not put an undue burden on our states , but will ensure the safety of our children . 
i want to thank the chairman and his staff for working with me on this issue . 
finally , i want to close by expressing my thanks to george togliatti , director of the nevada department of public safety and to donna coleman , member of demanding justice for america 's children . 
they both have worked tirelessly with my office to ensure that nevada 's children are protected . 
mr. chairman , i ask my colleagues to support this amendment . 
