International Megan's Law to Prevent Child Exploitation and Other Sexual Crimes Through Advanced Notification of Traveling Sex Offenders
Public Law 114-119 · H.R. 515 · 114th Congress · began in the House
Signed by Barack Obama (D) on Feb 8, 2016 · Crime and Law Enforcement
Sponsor: Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ-4)
Cosponsors (15): Rep. Albio Sires, Rep. Vicky Hartzler,
Passage votes
- HouseVoice vote
- SenateUnanimous consent
Data notes
The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.
Summary
The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.
International Megan's Law to Prevent Child Exploitation and Other Sexual Crimes Through Advanced Notification of Traveling Sex Offenders
(Sec. 4) This bill directs the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to establish the Angel Watch Center within the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The center must identify outbound sex offender travelers who failed to provide advanced notice of international travel and provide a list of such individuals to the Marshals Service (USMS) to investigate.
The center may receive notifications of inbound sex offender travel. It must share information with the Department of Justice (DOJ) and other government agencies.
The center may also transmit advance notice of sex offender travel to a destination country. It must comply with certain procedures, collect specified data, and establish a process to receive, review, and respond to individual complaints of erroneous notifications.
(Sec. 5) The USMS may receive and transmit notification of international travel by sex offenders. It may also share information about sex offender travel with other government agencies.
This bill requires the USMS to ensure consistent advance notification to destination countries of international travel by registered sex offenders.
The USMS must share certain information with the center, including a list of individuals who provided advanced notice of international travel, a determination of compliance with sex offender registration requirements, and sex offender travel information. It must also establish a process to receive, review, and respond to individual complaints of erroneous notifications.
DOJ must collect specified data related to transmitted notifications.
(Sec. 6) The bill amends the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA) to require a registered sex offender to also report information on intended international travel for inclusion in the sex offender registry.
It amends the federal criminal code to make it a crime for a sex offender to knowingly fail to provide such information. A violation is subject to a fine, up to 10 years in prison, or both.
(Sec. 7) It expresses the sense of Congress that the Department of State should negotiate reciprocal international agreements to further the purposes of this Act and SORNA.
(Sec. 8) This bill amends the William Wilberforce Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2008 to prohibit the State Department from issuing a passport to a sex offender, unless the passport contains a unique identifier. A "unique identifier" is any visual sex offender designation that is conspicuously affixed to a passport.
(Sec. 9) DHS, DOJ, and the State Department must develop and report jointly to Congress on a process to implement the unique identifier requirement on sex offender passports.
(Sec. 10) The State Department may provide technical assistance to foreign authorities to facilitate effective participation in the notification program established by this Act.
(Sec. 11) The bill authorizes appropriations for FY2017-FY2018.
(Sec. 12) It prohibits construing this Act to limit international information sharing or law enforcement cooperation pursuant to any authority of DOJ, DHS, or any other department or agency.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
- Judiciary Committee · House · referred toSubcommittee: Crime and Federal Government Surveillance Subcommittee
Data notes
A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.
Related bills
1 bill the Library of Congress relates to this one.
S. 1867Related bill
International Megan's Law to Prevent Child Exploitation Through Advanced Notification of Traveling Sex Offenders
Data notes
Related bills are identified by the Congressional Research Service, the House and the Senate: companion and identical bills, bills with similar text, bills that were folded into this law, and rules that brought it to the floor. A bill that is itself a public law in this site’s data links here; the others link to Congress.gov.
Timeline
From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 27 actions.
- Feb 8, 2016Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 114-119.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Feb 4, 2016FloorFloor · Presented to President.
- Feb 1, 2016Resolving differencesResolving differences · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · On motion that the House suspend the rules and agree to the Senate amendments Agreed to by voice vote.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · Mr. Smith (NJ) moved that the House suspend the rules and agree to the Senate amendments.
- FloorFloor · DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on the motion to suspend the rules and agree to the Senate amendments to H.R. 515.
- OtherOther · Resolving differences -- House actions: On motion that the House suspend the rules and agree to the Senate amendments Agreed to by voice vote.
- Dec 18, 2015FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
- FloorFloor · Notwithstanding the passage of H.R. 515, the committee reported title amendment was agreed to by Unanimous Consent.
- Dec 17, 2015FloorFloor · Passed Senate with an amendment and an amendment to the Title by Unanimous Consent.
- FloorFloor · The committee substitute agreed to by Unanimous Consent.
- Nov 17, 2015CalendarCalendar · Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 296.
- CommitteeCommittee · Committee on Foreign Relations. Reported by Senator Corker with an amendment in the nature of a substitute and an amendment to the title. Without written report.
- Nov 10, 2015CommitteeCommittee · Committee on Foreign Relations. Ordered to be reported with amendments favorably.
- Feb 4, 2015CommitteeCommittee · Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.
- Jan 28, 2015CommitteeCommittee · Received in the Senate.
- Jan 27, 2015FloorFloor · ENGROSSMENT CORRECTION - Unanimous consent was granted for the Clerk to make a correction in the engrossment to H.R. 515 in a form placed at the desk.
- Jan 26, 2015FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- FloorFloor · On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by voice vote.
- FloorFloor · DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 515.
- FloorFloor · Considered under suspension of the rules.
- FloorFloor · Mr. Royce moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill.
- Jan 25, 2015CommitteeCommittee · Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, and Investigations Discharged.
- Jan 23, 2015CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, and Investigations.
- Jan 22, 2015CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
- IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in House
Data notes
Every action the Library of Congress lists for the bill, from introduction to signing, plus the dated committee hearings. The source lists many steps twice (the chamber’s own entry and the Library of Congress copy, or a presidential and a became-law entry with the same words); those are shown once. Amendments are listed in their own section.
Amendments
1 amendment offered to the bill, with the last recorded step of each.
- Agreed to
S.Amdt. 2936SenateSen. Bob CorkerR-TN· offered Dec 17, 2015Agreed to
To modify the authorization of appropriations.
Dec 17, 2015: Amendment SA 2936 agreed to in Senate by Unanimous Consent.
Data notes
Amendments offered to this bill in either chamber, as the Library of Congress records them: each with a status read from its last recorded step: agreed to, rejected, withdrawn, ruled out of order, fell with another amendment, or offered with no vote recorded (most Senate amendments are only ever offered). The wording of each amendment is the source’s. Amendments to amendments and amendments to other bills are not listed.
Official record
The bill’s full text is on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.