MO: Good news! SB 982 restores the path for removal from the Registry

Source: Missouri Alliance for Family Restoration 5/6/26 GREAT NEWS!  Governor Kehoe signed SB 982 into law on May 6, 2026. This will restore the path for removal from the Registry that was previously enacted in 2018. The law will go into effect on August 28, 2026. Thank you to our dedicated lobbyists, Sarah Schlemeier Henke and former state senator, Jeff Smith, for their tireless work behind the scenes, pushing this bill through all the stages in both chambers and with the Governor’s office. Thank you to our volunteers and DONORS! …

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AZ: Arizonans for Rational Sex Offense Laws alerts Arizona residents to watch for their call to action on bills

Source: azrsol.org  Many laws introduced by Senator Shamp with the help of Kayleigh Kozack (Kayleigh’s law) Many specifically targeting those who have had a conviction with the sentencing enhancement of Dangerous Crimes Against Children. The legislature had decided that new retroactive restrictions should apply to these individuals including level one offenders. DCAC was to be used only in the court room as a sentencing enhancement — not lifetime and retroactive punishment. But Kayleigh with Senator Shamp’s help is changing the intent of the law. Even AZSOMB states this is not…

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WI: Town wants to help registrants have the “right to reintegrate into society” by hashing over complex restrictions

Source: hngnews.com 4/29/26 The DeForest Village Board will soon be prompted with a discussion about the distance limits from “safety zones” for the residency of registered sex offenders. Trustees will also be presented with an ordinance to implement portions of the existing residency restrictions for sex offenders into the municipal zoning code. The DeForest Plan Commission unanimously recommended the zoning changes for village board approval on Tuesday, April 28, and instructed the board to discuss safety zone changes as well.   DeForest Police Chief James Olsen presented the commission with…

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CO: Lifetime sex offender registration not ‘punishment,’ Colorado justices say

Source: coloradopolitics.com 4/27/26 The Colorado Supreme Court concluded on Monday that lifetime sex offender registration is not cruel and unusual punishment because it is not “punishment.” At the same time, two members urged lawmakers to heed the advice of the Sex Offender Management Board and adopt a new, more accurate system of measuring a person’s risk of recidivism. Under Colorado law, “sexually violent predators” are subject to lifetime sex offender registration. To qualify, they must be 18 years or older, convicted of certain offenses, commit the offense against certain types of people…

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AR: Judge Sets $950,000 Bonds for Two Sex Offenders Accused of Failing to Register

Source: neareport.com 4/29/26 JONESBORO, Ark. — Two registered sex offenders accused of failing to comply with Arkansas reporting requirements received $950,000 cash or surety bonds Wednesday afternoon in Craighead County District Court. District Judge David Boling set bonds at $950,000 cash or surety for Michael Nelson ____, 45, of Lenox, Michigan, and April Genene ____, 44, of Jonesboro. Both are charged with failure to register and failure to comply with reporting requirements, a Class C felony in Arkansas. Read the full article  

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MO: Bill clarifying sex offender registry law clears Missouri House, heads back to Senate

Source: newstribune.com 4/25/26 A bill aimed at clarifying Missouri’s sex offender registry law — including when people convicted in other states must register here and when some offenders can ask to come off the list — cleared the House on Tuesday. The House voted 141-4 to approve the measure. Because amendments were added to the bill, which passed the Senate in March, it must return to the Senate for final approval before it can go to Gov. Mike Kehoe. Republican state Sen. Mary Elizabeth Coleman of Arnold, the sponsor of the bill,…

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NY: Bill wants to add Tier I (low level) registrants to public sex offender registry

Source: observertoday.com 4/23/26 [ACSOL note: Write, call and show up, NY residents!] Assemblyman Andrew Molitor is among the co-sponsors of legislation that would require all sex offenders to be placed in the publicly searchable area of the state’s online sex offender registry. Sponsored by Assemblyman Joseph Angelino, Binghamton, the legislation (A.10975) would amend the state’s Corrections Law to authorize the name, photo and other identifying information of Level 1 sex offenders to be publicly disclosed on the DCJS sex offender directory website. Angelino’s bill has attracted… Read the full article…

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FL: Lawsuit filed challenging Putnam County Ordinance

Source: Florida Action Committee 4/23/26 Today, a federal class action lawsuit was filed against Putnam County, Florida, challenging their recently amended Ordinance that precludes persons on the sex offender registry from living within 500 feet of one another, among other restrictions. Attorneys Adele Nicholas, Mark Weinberg and Ron Kleiner are representing the Plaintiffs, who are registrants and property owners subjected to the Ordinance. This is the first of what will hopefully be a series of lawsuits challenging Sex Offender Residency Restrictions (SORRs) in Florida – putting an end to the…

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OH: Ohio S.B. 393 would increase child sex offender sentences

Source: nbc4i.com 4/21/26 New legislation in the Ohio Senate would make some significant updates to Ohio’s existing laws against child sex offenders. Senate Bill 393, sponsored by Ohio Sens. Jane Timken (R-Jackson Twp.) and Nathan Manning (R-North Ridgeville), would increase penalties for offenders based on the age of their victims and the amount of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) in their possession. It would also establish artificially generated CSAM as a felony offense and give prosecutors more options in how to handle sexting and other sexual conduct between minors.  Last…

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SC: South Carolina lawmakers consider limiting sex offender access to public parks

Source: msn.com 4/21/26 Weeks after a public park in Anderson County was closed due to concerns from families about the regulations for people who commit crimes against children, South Carolina lawmakers and town leaders are proposing and considering rules to limit public access for registered sex offenders in places designated for children.   . Current state law bans someone from residing within 1,000 feet of daycares, schools, public parks or playgrounds and recreational facilities if they are convicted of the following crimes: Criminal sexual conduct with a minor, 1st and 2nd…

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MO: SB 982 would spell out when people convicted in other states must register in Missouri

Source: missouriindependent.com 4/22/26 A bill aimed at clarifying Missouri’s sex offender registry law — including when people convicted in other states must register here and when some offenders can ask to come off the list — cleared the House Tuesday. The House voted 141-4 to approve the measure. Because amendments were added to the bill, which passed the Senate in March, it must return to the Senate for final approval before it can go to Gov. Mike Kehoe. Republican state Sen. Mary Elizabeth Coleman of Arnold, the sponsor of the bill, said…

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NY: Lawsuits over sex abuse of children in state custody could cost NJ $340M+

Source: newjerseymonitor.com 4/14/26 Ongoing lawsuits filed by people who say they were sexually abused as children while in juvenile detention centers, foster care, and other state-supervised placements could cost New Jersey at least $340 million, judging by past payouts. The state has already shelled out tens of millions of dollars to resolve such claims, with the median cost of the settlements at $975,000 as of March, according to budget documents. Two past lawsuits over sex abuse children endured in foster homes decades ago cost the state almost $19 million alone in 2024.…

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NY: Fearmongering NY Post pushes residency restrictions myth to create homeless registrants

Source: nypost.com 4/19/26 Ex-hotel still houses sex offenders near NYC playground after bombshell report — and nearby shelter is now following suit   A converted hotel next to a Chinatown playground is still housing violent sex offenders a full 10 months after The Post blew the whistle — and now a second Manhattan shelter is doing the same thing. At least two registered sex offenders exposed in a July 5 report — including a level 3 offender, the highest risk — are still calling the former Hotel MB building at 61 Chrystie…

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OR: Lane County class-action suit challenges Oregon’s sex offender registry risk classification

Source: statesmanjournal.com 4/14/26 A class action lawsuit filed in Lane County on April 2 against the Oregon State Police and the Board of Parole and Post-Prison Supervision alleges individuals on Oregon’s sex offender registry have been systematically misclassified as a higher risk than they are. The plaintiff in the case, identified in court documents only as M.H., claims to be one of those people. In January 1990, he was convicted on three counts of first-degree sexual abuse in the Lane County Circuit Court. He was sentenced to incarceration and supervision, which he…

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IL: Investigations No Trial. No Guilty Verdict. How Civil Commitment in Illinois Can Mean Decades Behind Bars

Source: news.wttw.com 4/14/26 Under two different Illinois laws, people charged with sex offenses are subject to indefinite detention. More than 500 people are currently being held under the procedure known as civil commitment. This story explores the law that holds people who’ve only been charged with a crime — never convicted or sentenced. WTTW News also examined the law that continues to hold people after they’ve served their sentences, sometimes for decades. James Howe was never found guilty. But he still spent nine years inside of Big Muddy River Correctional Center.…

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LA: Backwards Louisiana forces surgical castration as part of sentence

Source: thenationaldesk.com 4/12/26 BOSSIER PARISH, La. (WKRC) – A Bossier City man was sentenced to 45 years in prison after pleading guilty to a sex offense involving a child family member, according to the Bossier Parish District Court. Zachary ______, 40, entered a guilty plea April 6 to aggravated crimes against nature, according to the district attorney’s office. His sentence includes mandatory castration under Louisiana law, reports Bossier Press-Tribune. … “My office is committed to prosecuting the predators that victimize children and will work hand-in-hand with our partners in law…

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NY: Residency restrictions force registrants into motels, which causes complaints by homeless families

Source: spectrumlocalnews.com 4/7/26 As New York increasingly relies on hotels to house families experiencing homelessness, a Spectrum News 1 review found in some counties those families may live next door to registered level two and level three sex offenders.  Broome County, in the Southern Tier, was found to have three hotels in such a situation. Through a Freedom of Information Law request, Spectrum News 1 used payment records from the state Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance to confirm which hotels Broome County uses as temporary housing for families. In comparing the hotel address with publicly available addresses of registered sex offenders, as of March 31, four registered sex offenders are living at the Knights Inn in Endicott.  New York…

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FL: DeSantis tells Florida House to impeach Tallahassee judge who released sex offender on bond

Source: floridaphoenix.com 3/31/26 Gov. Ron DeSantis is calling on the Florida House to impeach a Tallahassee judge who briefly released a sex offender onto the streets, resulting in the killing of the man’s 5-year-old stepdaughter. “To my friends in the Florida House of Representatives, I don’t think what you’ve done is enough,” DeSantis said during a Tampa press conference on Tuesday. “You have the power, and you have sufficient numbers in your chamber, to impeach this judge, Tiffany Baker-Carper. “Until you start holding these judges accountable, they are gonna continue…

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