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Beginning July 1, registered sex offenders in Tennessee must tell authorities of any e-mail, user name or instant messaging screen name they use.

Rep. Doug Overbey, R-Maryville, sponsored the bill and he said it will make use of the Internet safer for children.

“It’s something Sen. Woodson and I had talked about and we both had an interest in,” said Overbey, referring to Sen. Jamie Woodson, R-Knoxville, who sponsored the bill in the upper chamber.

Overbey said the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and the Board of Probation and Parole had been working on the language of the bill that was signed into law by Gov. Phil Bredesen.

The law:

Requires sex offenders to provide Internet account information such as e-mail addresses, user names and aliases on the sex offender registry, and to notify their registering agency of any changes to the information within three days.

Requires probation or parole officers to notify the TBI when learning of any such changes.

Authorizes the TBI to transmit the information electronically to companies providing pre-screening services.

Overbey said with e-mail and screen names added to the sex offender registry, parents can more easily determine who their children are communicating with online.

Woodson said some offenders are barred from using the Internet for some activities and the statute lets authorities see if they violate parole terms.