Toomey Works to Protect Children of Our Service Members from Pedophiles

Statement

U.S. Senator Pat Toomey's (R-Pa.) efforts to protect children from pedophiles infiltrating the classroom took a step forward this week: His legislation to protect our service members' children from sexual abuse has been included in the must-pass legislation authorizing funding for the Pentagon.

Sen. Toomey's Protecting Our Service Members' Children from Sexual and Violent Predators Act has been incorporated into the fiscal year 2017 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). Sen. Toomey's legislation requires Department of Defense-operated schools in the U.S. and school districts that receive federal Impact Aid to conduct criminal background checks on all school workers who have unsupervised access to children. This screening requirement includes current and prospective workers, employees, and contractors. In addition, these background checks must be thorough, covering two federal and two state databases, and must be repeated periodically.

This is part of Sen. Toomey's longstanding effort to prevent pedophiles from infiltrating our children's classrooms-an effort that began in 2013.
The NDAA passed the Senate Armed Services Committee with a bipartisan 23-3 vote.

"When I put my children on the school bus, I have every right to expect that I am sending them somewhere safe, surrounded by adults who will care for them," said Sen. Toomey. "When military men and women send their kids to school, whether on or off the base, they deserve no less. Our service members sacrifice to defend our nation and protect our freedom, and often they do not get to choose where they are stationed. During potentially dangerous missions or training, they should not have to worry about whether their children are safe at school.

"Thanks to the efforts of state Sen. Anthony Williams and others, every child in Pennsylvania has the protection of thorough background checks for school workers. My legislation ensures that when our Pennsylvania service members are stationed in another state, their children will continue to be protected from convicted pedophiles infiltrating the classroom.

"The danger to our children is all too real. In 2014, at least 459 teachers and other school workers were arrested for sexual misconduct with children. Last year that number jumped to 496. Stopping these predators is a moral imperative. This is something we know we can do to protect our children from convicted child molesters and other dangerous criminals. I applaud Chairman John McCain for leading the effort in the Armed Services Committee to advance this crucial cause. Every day we wait, we risk another child being brutalized, another childhood lost."

The Pentagon provides hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars for elementary and secondary schools in America. This includes funding for elementary and secondary schools that the Department of Defense operates for military dependents and funding under the Impact Aid program, which is designed to offset costs imposed on school districts for educating the children of members of the military. Nationwide, 17 percent of school children attend either a Department of Defense-operated school or a school in a district receiving Impact Aid.

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