Our nation has a solemn responsibility to protect the most vulnerable among us. Recently, the House of Representatives took steps to reduce the threat sex offenders pose to our children. I was proud to support legislation to help ensure sex offenders are registered properly and that they maintain their registrations wherever they reside. We simply must do everything we can to protect our children and prevent sexual crimes against them. In my opinion, Nevada leads the nation in its commitment to tracking sex offenders. We have strengthened our laws to ensure a greater compliance rate with registration programs. For example, Nevada state law requires sex offenders to be properly registered before they are issued a driver's license and their license has to be renewed annually. The purpose of such a requirement is to add another layer of protection to the children and families of our communities. In short, if a sex offender refuses to keep required registration current-- a problem facing too many states-- then the offender will 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. It is a threat that can serve as a useful deterrent, encouraging sex offenders to maintain their registration and improving their registration compliance rate. I am proud that Nevada is a leader in this nation in having modern, efficient computer systems allowing us to implement this licensing procedure. Unfortunately, several other states have not yet fully updated their DMV and criminal registry systems. Before we can replicate the Nevada law nationally, we need to know what resources may be necessary to implement it. As a result, I introduced an amendment, which the House passed unanimously, calling on the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to study how best to implement the Nevada regulations nationwide. It is prudent for all states to follow Nevada's lead to protect our children and prevent these horrible crimes. I will remain committed to passing separate legislation enabling states to begin implementing Nevada's driver's license requirement. Finally, I appreciate the efforts of the many Nevadans working diligently to protect our children. In drafting these new federal laws, we have worked closely with George Togliatti, Director of the Nevada Department of Public Safety and Donna Coleman, child advocate and member of Demanding Justice for America's Children. I appreciate their commitment to safeguarding our children and look forward to working with them and all concerned Nevadans on this critical issue. Our children deserve to live free from the threat sexual predators pose. As a nation, we must work together to provide our children with this basic level of security.