Burns urges quick action on legislation following missing girl case
Rep. Frank Burns February 11, 2015 | 4:44 PM
HARRISBURG, Feb. 11 – State Rep. Frank Burns, D-Cambria, today said he has introduced legislation that would protect students from registered sex offenders who live in their neighborhood.
"As our local police officers investigate the events in the case of the missing Summerhill girl, it is unknown if the person of interest who police are looking for was a sex offender," Burns said. "I feel it’s time Pennsylvania enact legislation to protect children to and from school."
According to the state Department of Education website, currently schools are not required to provide transportation for students. The law also states that if a district chooses to provide busing, the school can make children living within one mile of the school walk every day, regardless of age.
House Bill 372 would require school districts to provide transportation to all children to and from school if that student resides in a district where an offender is registered.
"I urge school boards in the district to provide transportation for all students, whether they live near a sex offender or not," Burns said. "It’s about protecting our children -- that should be everyone's main priority."
Currently, the Pennsylvania State Police list more than 12,000 sex offenders living in the commonwealth; 196 of them live in Cambria County.