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For Immediate
Release
10/25/11
Senate Judiciary Committee Amends, Passes 'Adam Walsh' Bill
(HARRISBURG) -- The Senate Judiciary Committee this week amended and passed
"Adam Walsh" legislation, cosponsored by Senator Jane Orie (R-40) and Senator
John Rafferty (R-44), which would ensure that Pennsylvania meets federally
mandated national standards to strengthen sex offender registration and
notification.
Senate Bill 1183, as amended, would bring Pennsylvania into compliance with
the federal Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act, part of the Adam
Walsh Act. Pennsylvania must bring its law into "substantial compliance" or
suffer a 10 percent reduction in federal crime protection grants.
Orie said the changes will also make the system for tracking sex offenders
more uniform, inclusive, informative, and readily available to the public.
"We need to have a strong and coordinated system in place to protect our
children from predators," Orie said. "This legislation will put tough penalties
in place and establish uniformity in how we deal with the very serious problem."
"This bill creates a national registry that law enforcement officers can
access and will be available on the Internet," Rafferty said. "It also toughens
penalties for offenders and ensures that they are more carefully tracked if they
move from state to state."
The amended legislation also:
- Increases the amount of information collected from
each offender and requires Pennsylvania to include more information on its
Internet website. In addition, Pennsylvania State Police would be required
to communicate registration information with federal, state and local police
departments more quickly than they currently do.
- Extends the registration requirement to juvenile
offenders who commit rape, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse,
aggravated indecent assault, or an attempt or conspiracy to commit these
offenses.
- Expands the list of sexually violent offenses subject
to the law and groups offenders into multiple classifications, depending on
the severity of the offense.
- Recaptures back into Megan's Law offenders with prior
convictions for sexual offenses but not currently subject to registration,
if the offender re-enters the criminal justice system because of a crime
punishable by a term of imprisonment of more than one year.
The bill also requires notification to the federal government if the offender
intends to travel abroad and requires transient sexual offenders to register and
update their registration information.
The measure now goes to the full Senate for consideration.
CONTACT:
Michael Sarfert
(717) 787-6538
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