WASHINGTON, D.C. ? Finding the nearest convicted child molester might be as easy as punching in a ZIP code on a computer keyboard, thanks to a bill that cleared Congress on Tuesday.

The House passed and sent to President Bush legislation establishing a national Internet database designed to let law enforcement and communities know where convicted sex offenders live and work.

The most serious offenders would be registered on a national database for a lifetime. All sex offenders could face a felony charge, punishable by 10 years in prison, for failing to update the information.

Rep. James Sensenbrenner, R-Wis., chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, said there are half a million sex offenders in the United States and as many as 100,000 are not registered, their locations unknown to the public and police.