PITTSBURGH -- A new law passed by the Allegheny County Council puts more limitations on registered child sex offenders.

The council voted 13-0 in favor of a new law that supplements the national Megan's law.

The bill's sponsor said it doesn't solve all the Megan's law problems, but it's a start.

"The reality of this bill is who knows what's going to happen down the road. I cannot prove a negative. Nobody up here can. But I can sleep better tonight knowing this bill's in existence," said Vince Gastgeb, of the Allegheny County Council.

The bill bars registered child sex offenders from living within 2500 feet of schools, child care facilities, community centers or public parks or recreation facilities.

"When a child predator registers under Megan's Law and goes out to the community, that's it," said Vince Gasteb of Council District 5. "There's nothing anybody can do regarding what happens to the individual."

One very pleased resident was a Mount Lebanon man who had a sex offender living near him. He said he had been fighting for months to get such a law enacted.

"In terms of my purposes, just having the ability to keep them away from the schools and the parks is a dream come true -- truly," said Paul Lauterbach, a Mount Lebanon resident.

Officials said the law can't force sex offenders to sell homes they already own, but it can keep them from moving in to the restricted zones and compel them to move out when their lease runs out.

Disobeying the rules could cost a violator a $1,000 fine and 90 days in jail.

One council member said he lamented the fact that the law wasn't enacted in time to prevent a child sex abuse incident in her district.

"The abuse that occurred within that predator's home with the child that he abused could have been prevented and it was a heartbreaking situation," said Susan Caldwell, of the Allegheny County Council. "Every time I drive by that residence where that occurred, I cringe to think of what happened in that home to that little girl."

Similar laws have been challenged in other localities because the statutes sometimes prevented offenders from living anywhere in those areas.

The County Council said its bill will stand up in court. County Chief Executive Dan Onorato said he plans to sign it into law after another round of attorney review.

"I know there are issues in other cities about legalities," Onorato said. "We'll have the law department looks at it and see how we minimize any risk or liability to the county."

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