(Washington, D.C.) – The Senate Judiciary Committee passed legislation yesterday authored by U.S. Senator Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), a current member and former Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, that will ensure nationwide background checks are accessible to organizations that provide care, supervision, treatment, training, instruction and recreation to children.

“Many of the traumatic tales of abuse of children could be prevented if the right information is in the hands of those who need to know, and that’s what this bill will ensure,” Hatch said. “The Adam Walsh Act took many strong steps forward to preventing the mistreatment of children, and giving child care organizations access to nationwide background checks was an important one. I appreciate the committee joining me and passing this bill unanimously to give our children a safe environment in which to grow up.”

This legislation passed by the Judiciary Committee today establishes a permanent background check system for child care organizations. Hatch initially supported child care organizations having access to criminal background checks through the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children as a pilot program under the Adam Walsh Act in 2006. In 2008, Hatch worked to extend the pilot program to include granting child care organizations access to nationwide background checks, and has repeatedly supported the extension of the pilot program.

This legislation is supported by the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, Boys & Girls Club of America, Big Brothers Big Sisters, YMCA of the USA, First Focus, MENTOR, National Collaboration for Youth and the National Foster Care Coalition, among others.