FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, August 5, 2010

Klobuchar, Hutchison, Kohl, Isakson Introduce Bill to Strengthen Federal Anti-Stalking Laws
Bill updates and modernizes anti-stalking laws

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX), Herb Kohl (D-WI), and Johnny Isakson (R-GA) today introduced legislation that strengthens and updates federal anti-stalking laws to address the new technology predators are using to harass their victims. The Stalkers Act improves federal anti-stalking laws to protect victims and provide prosecutors with the necessary tools to combat the growing threat of cyberstalking. The legislation was the subject of a recent press conference with ESPN reporter Erin Andrews and House supporters.

"Our laws need to be as sophisticated as the predators who violate them," Klobuchar said. "As a former prosecutor, I understand how critical it is that law enforcement be able to combat the growing threat of cyberstalking, and this bill will give them the tools to do just that."

"Countless victims of stalking have been forced to live in fear. The original stalking bill I passed through the Senate has been effective in punishing offenders, but developing technology has enabled stalkers to use new tactics to harass victims. Our bill would expand the law to include cyber stalking," Hutchison said. "The bill would also allow police to intervene earlier in situations where victims are not aware they are being stalked. With stronger laws on the books, we can continue to protect Americans from being terrorized by stalkers."

"There are chilling ways that stalkers are using technology to threaten their victims, and current law is often helpless against them. This bill takes into account the reality of technology today and covers more ground in protecting people from harm," Kohl said.

"This legislation will help ensure that our laws protect victims of stalking from increasingly advanced methods of harassment, particularly those involving the use of technology," Isakson said.

Current federal anti-stalking laws are outdated and may not cover all acts of electronic surveillance, including spyware, bugging, video surveillance, and other new technology used by modern-day stalkers.

The bipartisan legislation empowers law enforcement to prosecute any act of stalking that would be "reasonably expected" to cause a person serious emotional distress. It requires the attorney general to evaluate federal, state, and local efforts to enforce anti-stalking laws and submit an annual report on best practices.

The bill also increases the punishment for stalking offenses to protect the most vulnerable victims of stalking. Offenders who are convicted for stalking minors, violating protection orders, or stalking the elderly may be sentenced up to an additional five years in prison.

Cyberstalking is a problem that has grown more severe as digital technology has improved and proliferated. The National Center for Victims of Crime (NCVC) estimates that one out of every four stalking victims report being stalked through some form of technology, such as e-mail or instant messaging. NCVC supports the Stalkers Act.

Klobuchar's legislation is a companion bill to HR 5662, which was introduced in the House by Representatives Loretta Sanchez (D-CA) and Virginia Fox (R-NC) and passed last month. Klobuchar, Sanchez, and other congressional members joined ESPN reporter Erin Andrews at an event recently to discuss how the legislation will bolster anti-stalking laws.

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