California RSOL began its group lobbying effort of state legislators in support of Assembly Bill (AB) 625 on Tuesday, January 17. The Bill would replace the state’s current lifetime registry with a tiered registry that would allow individuals convicted of low level offenses to leave the registry in as little as 10 years from the date of their conviction provided that they have not re-offended. Individuals convicted of medium level offenses could leave the registry in 20 years while those deemed a significant threat would remain on the registry for their lifetime.
California RSOL’s group includes registrants, family members of registrants, a PhD psychologist and an attorney from around the state, including San Diego and Napa. All individuals are volunteers who are donating their time as well as their personal travel expenses. The individuals supporting California RSOL are divided into teams who are meeting with legislators and/or legislative staff in at 45 offices identified as potential supporters of the bill. There are additional legislators who have already voted in support of the bill during committee meetings in which the bill was passed.
AB 625 will be voted upon on the floor of the Assembly during the month of January. A total of 41 votes is required for the bill to pass. If the bill passes, it will move to the Senate for further consideration. The Senate must pass the bill this legislative session or wait until 2012 to be reintroduced.