U.S. passports will now identify child sex offenders

The State Department announced Wednesday that it will revoke the passports of convicted sex offenders, forcing them to reapply for the document if they wish to travel outside the country. If offenders are granted a new passport, it will be marked with an identifier reading: "The bearer was convicted of a sex offense against a minor, and is a covered sex offender pursuant to (U.S. law)."

The State Department also clarified that offenders will not longer be eligible to receive passport cards because they're too small to fit the notice.

The effort is being implemented to comply with the "International Megan's Law" passed last year. The law aims to prevent child exploitation by providing wider notice when convicted offenders are traveling.

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Affected offenders will be notified of the change as soon as the State Department gets a list of their names. But until everything is formalized, offenders are still free to travel abroad with their old passports, the department told The Chicago Tribune.