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SPRINGFIELD, Ill. A bill that would add new regulations to Internet dating services doing business in Illinois now one floor vote from passage but is hitting some opposition from Republicans who say theyre concerned about government overreach.

The bill (SB2545) would create the Internet Dating Safety Act, requiring that Internet dating services either conduct criminal background checks on all their members, or post online warnings specifying that they dont conduct such screenings. It has already passed the House, and today passed the Senate Judiciary Committee 6-3.

Proponents say the measure is needed to combat online predators, who can create Internet personas that mask previous convictions for sex crimes. Most states today make such convictions easily searchable through online sex-offender registries.

Illinois lawmakers have tried and failed for years to pass similar legislation. Don't you have an expectation when you pay $30 to find true love that it won't turn out to be a sex offender? Rep. John Bradley, D-Marion, asked during one such debate, in 2007, before an earlier version of the idea failed.

Opponents have questioned whether Illinois can effectively police Internet services that arent based in the state, and whether the services themselves might create a false sense of security by saying they do background checks, when there is no way to know how extensive those checks are.

Another, more ideological argument has been put in play by some Republican opponents to the measure.

Its another intervention by the government thinking for us, said Sen. Matt Murphy, R-Palatine, who voted against the measure in committee today. Adults have the ability to make these decisions for themselves.

The full Senate could take up the bill as early as Tuesday.

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Internet dating safety bill in Illinois would disclose background check policies