WASHINGTON — The U.S. Senate has approved legislation requiring Hollywood studios to keep records of the ages of actors who simulate sex in films and TV shows.

The Senate unanimously approved Thursday the Adam Walsh Act, which in part would require studios to prove actors engaged in sex scenes are over 18. Movie and TV producers would face penalties that apply to people who lie to the Justice Department, The Hollywood Reporter said.

“This legislation unites the 50 states to prevent these low-lifes from slipping through the cracks,” said Sen. Joseph Biden, D-Del. [pictured]

The legislation does not give the Justice Department the authority to inspect the records anytime it chooses, however.

The law is named for Adam Walsh, a boy who was abducted from a Hollywood, Fla., department store in 1981 at age 6. His severed head was later found, but the rest of his remains have never been recovered, nor has anyone been convicted for his murder.

The House is expected to accept the Senate’s version of the bill and President George W. Bush is expected to sign it.