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“INTRODUCING CHILDREN'S AIR TRAVEL PROTECTION ACT AND PARENTAL RIGHTS PROTECTION ACT” mentioning the U.S. Dept. of Transportation was published in the House of Representatives section on pages H4548-H4549 on July 25, 2001.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
INTRODUCING CHILDREN'S AIR TRAVEL PROTECTION ACT AND PARENTAL RIGHTS
PROTECTION ACT
(Mr. PUTNAM asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
Mr. PUTNAM. Mr. Speaker, last year, as thousands of children do every day, a 15-year-old girl from my district logged onto her computer and struck up an online acquaintance. Little did she or her family realize that this was the beginning of a nightmare that continues to this day.
Lindsay's new online friend turned out to be a sexual predator who eventually convinced her to run away from her home in Florida, eventually to Greece. One of the most troubling aspects of this case was the lack of support and the disinterest from Federal authorities. Not only was the FBI reluctant to become involved, but the U.S. Attorney's Office has declined to enforce existing laws, claiming that this series of crimes involving interstate and international air transport and the use of the Internet to lure a child away from home into international sexual servitude is not a matter of Federal jurisdiction.
In response to this failure and the failure of the FAA and the Department of Transportation to use their rulemaking authority to address any of these issues, I have filed legislation that would clarify the power of the Federal Government to bring such predators to justice.
The Children's Air Travel Protection Act and the Parental Rights Protection Act would require that airlines get a written certification that a minor has parental or guardian's permission and would forbid the use of the Internet to interfere with a parent's authority or induce a minor to run away from home.
I would encourage my colleagues to join me in cosponsoring H.R. 2600 and 2601.
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