{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.toomey.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/bill-to-combat-stalking-of-children-clears-house-goes-to-president-for-signature", "Bill to Combat Stalking of Children Clears House, Goes to President for Signature", "2020-12-09", "2020", "2020-12", "Republican", "House", "PA", "Patrick Toomey", "T000461", "www.toomey.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, D.C.  After a years-long fight,\r\ncriminals who prey on and stalk children will face longer jail sentences. Led\r\nby Senators Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) and Bob Casey (D-Pa.) in the Senate, and\r\nRepresentative Brian Fitzpatrick (Pa.-1) in the House, the Combat Online\r\nPredators Act is heading to the president's desk for his signature.  The legislation enhances federal criminal penalties for stalkers\r\nby up to five years if the victim is a minor, and calls for the U.S. Department\r\nof Justice to evaluate federal, state, and local efforts to enforce stalking\r\nlaws and identify enforcement best practices. The bill passed the Senate last\r\nOctober, and was approved by the House last night.  House passage of the Combat Online Predators Act speaks to the\r\nremarkable dedication of the entire Zezzo family for keeping children safe and\r\nensuring there are strong penalties for monsters who stalk and cyberstalk\r\nchildren, said Senator Toomey. Madison and her parents, Erin and Tony,\r\ndeserve our gratitude for helping get this legislation through Congress, and I\r\nlook forward to the president signing it into law.  Today is an important day in our Nation's endless fight to better\r\nprotect our children and curtail predatory behavior. I am pleased that the\r\nHouse passed the Combat Online Predators Act today and I am grateful to the\r\nZezzo family for their tireless advocacy of this important legislation,\" said\r\nSenator Casey. \"This bipartisan bill will give judges additional tools\r\nto ensure that perpetrators who stalk or cyberstalk children are held\r\naccountable with serious penalties. I urge the President to sign Combat Online\r\nPredators swiftly into law so that we can continue the fight to keep our\r\nchildren safe from predatory behavior.  We have no higher responsibility than to protect our children.\r\nCyber-stalking is a serious crime that needs to be met with stricter penalties\r\nand more cooperation among law enforcement agencies. Sitting with the Zezzo\r\nfamily, I saw the pain in their eyes. After hearing of the disturbing story of\r\ncyberstalking endured by this young girl and her family for years, I knew\r\nsomething needed to be done, said Representative Fitzpatrick. The\r\nCombat Online Predators Act is the first step in making the internet a safer\r\nenvironment for all users, especially the most vulnerable among us. I am\r\nincredibly proud to see our legislation pass both chambers and head to the\r\nPresident's desk to become law.  Our family is so glad the Combat Online Predators Act has made it\r\nthrough Congress, said Erin and Tony Zezzo. As families have navigated\r\nthrough the COVID-19 pandemic, children are spending more time online and in\r\nfront of a webcam. Individuals who stalk and cyberstalk our children are taking\r\nadvantage of these new tools and opportunities to exploit children. This\r\nlegislation has never been more critical than it is today. Our hope is that\r\nthis legislation is the first of more changes to our cyberstalking laws that\r\nwill help prevent such heinous crimes. We appreciate the bipartisan work of\r\nSenators Toomey and Casey and Representatives Fitzpatrick and Murphy.  Congresswoman Stephanie Murphy (Fla.-7) coauthored the Combat\r\nOnline Predators Act in the House.  The\r\nCombat Online Predators Act was inspired by the story of the Zezzo\r\nfamily of Bucks County, Pennsylvania whose teenaged daughter was cyber-stalked\r\nby a friend's father on social media. Despite the stalking being sexual in\r\nnature, the then-51-year-old stalker pleaded guilty only to a misdemeanor\r\nstalking charge and was sentenced to probation and counseling. Three years\r\nlater, in 2016, the same stalker began making contact again. This time, he was\r\narrested in a sting by local police and sentenced to between 18 months and\r\nseven years in a state prison.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.toomey.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/bill-to-combat-stalking-of-children-clears-house-goes-to-president-for-signature"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 2.0237257704138756, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}