Source: prairiestatewire.com 3/14/25 Illinois Democratic state senators have proposed legislation that would reduce residency restrictions for registered child sex offenders, lowering the required distance they must maintain from schools and childcare facilities. Introduced by Sen. Kimberly A. Lightford and co-sponsored by Sens. Adriane Johnson and Mary Edly-Allen, Senate Bill 2254 seeks to amend the Criminal Code of 2012 and the state’s sex offender registration laws. Under the proposed changes, the restricted zone around schools and childcare institutions would shrink from 500 feet to 250 feet. Additionally, the bill removes day care homes…
Read MoreDay: March 14, 2025
Passport Applicants May Have To Affirm That They Are ‘Not Required To Register’ As Sex Offenders
Source: reason.com 3/14/25 The proposed State Department policy would add to the irrational burdens that registrants face. Under a proposed State Department policy, U.S. passport applicants would have to affirm that they are “not required to register” as sex offenders. If they are “required to register,” they would have to submit a “supplementary explanatory statement under oath.” The State Department says that change, which it announced in a Federal Register notice seeking public comment last month, is “in accordance with” the International Megan’s Law (IML), which requires “unique passport identifiers” for “covered sex offenders.” Although that 2016 law…
Read MoreThe ineffective registry: SOLPRC’s Policy Brief on Sex Offense Registration and Notification (SORN) Laws
Source: mitchellhamline.edu 3/1/25 The Sex Offense Litigation and Policy Resource Center has published a policy brief on Sex Offense Registration and Notification (SORN) Laws. Download the policy brief From the Executive Summary: The modern sex offense registry was borne out of the belief that a public registry listing people who had been convicted of a sex offense would make communities safer. That premise was wrong. We now have thirty years of data concluding that public registries do not work as intended—in fact, there is evidence that public registries actually increase registrant…
Read MoreTN: Tennessee lawmakers push for ‘Savanna’s Law’ to create domestic violence offender registry
Source: fox17.com 3/13/25 NASHVILLE, Tenn. WZTV) — Some Tennessee lawmakers say they are taking decisive action to combat repeat domestic violence offenders with the introduction of a new bill known as “Savanna’s Law.” The legislation proposes the creation of a publicly accessible registry for individuals convicted multiple times of domestic violence offenses, similar to existing sex offender registries. The bill, which has gained momentum among legislators, seeks to increase transparency and protect potential victims by making crucial information readily available to the public. Under the proposed legislation, the Tennessee Bureau of…
Read MoreTX: Stop Bill HB 3499 or Texas registrants will no longer receive property tax exemption
Source: capitol.texas.gov 2/27/25 Bill HB 3499 text: Relating to the eligibility of an individual to receive an exemption from ad valorem taxation of the individual’s residence homestead if the homestead is occupied by a registered sex offender. … “Sec. 11.136. RESIDENCE HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION PROHIBITED FOR RESIDENCE OCCUPIED BY REGISTERED SEX OFFENDER. Notwithstanding Section 11.13, 11.131, 11.132, 11.133, or 11.134, an individual may not receive an exemption from taxation of all or a portion of the appraised value of the individual’s residence homestead under this subchapter in a tax year for…
Read MoreAZ: Arizona’s sex offender registry harms communities and families
Source: azcapitoltimes.com 3/13/25 In an era where evidence-based policy is increasingly valued, Arizona continues to maintain a sexual offense registry system that fails to deliver on its promises while creating serious collateral damage. Our current approach, originally designed to protect communities, has evolved into a system that paradoxically undermines public safety while devastating lives. As Arizona lawmakers consider criminal justice reforms, it’s time to fundamentally reassess this flawed system. Arizona’s registry fails victims Contrary to popular belief, the registry system often works against the interests of survivors. Sexual harm is…
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