Introduction by Marc Klaas

On December 31, 2024, the KlaasKids is closing our doors after three decades of legislative advocacy. Our final act, California SB 285, was signed into law on Sept. 29, 2024, and becomes effective on Jan. 1, 2025. It was a specific, targeted bill, written to prevent Polly’s condemned killer from qualifying for sentencing reconsideration.

In the immediate aftermath of Polly’s tragedy, KlaasKids embarked on an aggressive 4-pronged legislative agenda. The priority was to protect children, followed by ensuring that convicts are held accountable for their crimes, promoting victims’ rights, and funding after school programs for at-risk children.

Highlights of our legislative activity include:

We worked with President Clinton to gain passage of the Violent Crime and Law Enforcement Act. Also known as the 1994 Crime Bill, this comprehensive piece of legislation banned assault weapons, provided $9.7 billion for prison construction, funded the hiring of 100,000 new police officers, introduced the “three strikes” law, mandating life sentences for repeat offenders, and provided $6.1 billion for prevention programs for at risk youth.

After some false starts KlaasKids became fierce advocates for California’s Three Strikes and You’re Out law, which states that if someone is convicted of three serious or violent felonies, they receive a significantly longer prison sentence, often life imprisonment. We were early and key proponents of Megan’s Law that requires law enforcement authorities to make information about registered sex offenders available to the public.

In 2006, KlaasKids traveled to Washington D.C. several times to lobby on behalf of the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006 is a U.S. federal law aimed at protecting children from sexual exploitation and violent crime. The purpose of the law was to establish a comprehensive national system for the registration of sex offenders. It integrated state sex offender registry systems into a national database, making information accessible across the United States. It imposed tough penalties for serious crimes against children. It authorized Internet Crimes Against Children Taskforces and required background checks for foster and adoptive placements. The act honors the memory of Adam Walsh, whose father John was the long-time host of America’s Most Wanted.

Since 1996, the KlaasKids Foundation has worked closely with Washington D.C. based Fight Crime: Invest in Kids to raise billions of dollars to provide front end solutions to reduce crime, such as: Evidence-based, voluntary parent coaching programs for new parents to prevent child abuse and neglect; high-quality early childhood education that increases educational success and graduation rates; stronger K-12 education goals and afterschool programs that give kids a clear path toward productive futures and away from crime; and proven coaching programs that strengthen families and get troubled kids back on track.

The KlaasKids Foundation’s decades-long advocacy has paid off. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, rates of missing children have declined precipitously through the 21st Century. In 1999, 797,500 children were reported missing to the law enforcement authorities. In 2020, 365,348 reports of missing children were entered into the FBI’s National Crime Information Center. Now, instead of 2,200 missing children being reported to w enforcement per day, approximately 1,001 children are reported missing per day.

Legislation/Testimony:

• Correcting The Revolving Door of Justice: Approaches and Solutions to Recidivism – House Judiciary Sub- committee – Washington, DC
• Interstate Identification Index – Senate Governmental Affairs Committee – Washington, DC
• Children’s Privacy Parental Protection Act – House Judiciary Sub-committee – Washington, DC
• R. 4258 – No Second Chances for Murderers, Rapists & Child Molesters Act of 1998 – House Judiciary Sub- committee – Washington DC
• Federal Crime Bill – Presidential Press Conference & Bill Signing
• Megan’s Law – Federal, New York, California – Bill Signing
• Amber Hagerman “2-Strike” Act – Press Conference – Dallas, TX
• AB2500 – Child Protection Act 1994 – COPS Committee & Senate Judiciary Committee – Sacramento, CA
• SB12X – Violent Crime Information Network – COPS Committee Rights & Senate Judiciary Committee – Sacramento, CA
• AB99X – Community Based Punishment Act – COPS Committee – Sacramento, CA
• SB26X – Sexual Offender “One-Strike-Act” – COPS Committee Sacramento, CA
• AB3513 – Annual Sexual Offender Registry – COPS Committee – Sacramento, CA
• AB12 – COPS Committee – Sacramento, CA
• Public Question #1 – Indiana State Victim’s Rights Amendment
• AB31a – New York State Income Tax Check Off Box for missing children
• HB 1239, Habitual Sex Offenders Against Children & Sex Offender Database on the Internet – House Judiciary – Colorado
• AB5761a – Utilization of New York printing and Internet service to highlight plight of missing children
• AB3056 – Two Strike Bill for Sexual Predators – Wisconsin Senate Judiciary Committee, Madison, WI
• Federal “2 Strikes” Law – House Judiciary Sub-committee Washington, D.C.
• SB123 – New Mexico Civil Commitment Act, Senate Judiciary Committee, Albuquerque, NM
• Federal Amber Alert – U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary Subcommittee on Technology
• SB1806 – Sex Offender Registration Violators – COPS Committee, Sacramento, CA
• AB1313 – Extend Megan’s Law Sunset – COPS Committee, Sacramento, CA
• SB1128 – Sex Offender Punishment, Control and Containment Act of 2006 – COPS Committee, Sacramento, CA

Legislation in Pictures