THE PAM LYCHNER ACT

The Pam Lychner Sexual Offender Tracking and Identification Act, passed byCongress in 1996, provides for a national database to track sex offenders.  The Pam LychnerAct shores up the provisions of the Jacob Wetterling Act, which requires state law enforcement totransmit sex offender data and fingerprints to the FBI, by establishing at the FBI a nationaldatabase of released sex offenders to track their whereabouts and movement.  Provisionsmandate persons convicted of sexual offenses in states that do not have a minimally sufficientregistration program to register with the FBI a current address, fingerprints, and currentphotograph.  Additionally, the legislation amends the Jacob Wetterling Act by changing theduration of state registration requirement from 10 years to 10 years or life, depending on thenumber of prior convictions and the type of crime committed.
 
Pam was a victim of an attempted sexual assault.  While working as a Houston realestate agent, Pam prepared to show a vacant home to a prospective buyer.  Awaiting her at thehouse was a twice-convicted felon who brutally assaulted her.  She narrowly escaped herattacker when her husband Joe arrived at the scene.  She lived in fear for two years followingthe attack.  When she was notified about her attacker's first parole hearing after such ashort time in prison, she contacted the City of Houston's Victims' Assistance Office.  Throughthis contact she met Justice For All's current president Dianne Clements who had lost a child togun violence.  In June of 1993, after several brutal crimes in the Houston area, Pam, Dianneand others helped to form Justice for All, to remind people about the victims of violentcrimes.  On July 17, 1996, Justice For All lost its immediate past president, founding memberand driving force, Pam Lychner.  Pam and her two young daughters were killed in the crash ofTWA Flight 800 in New York.