Juneau -- Child murderers will receive increased punishment under legislation unanimously approved Thursday by the State House of Representatives. Senate Bill 3 (SB 3), sponsored by Senator Rick Halford (R-Chugiak), will establish more severe penalties for those who kill society's most vulnerable members.

"Often, a convicted child killer, especially when the victim is an infant, does not receive punishment fitting the crime," said Sen. Halford. "With this law, we send a clear message of deterrence--if you kill a child, you will go to jail for a very long time," Sen. Halford said.

SB 3 will ensure that anyone who is convicted of first or second-degree murder of a child will be sentenced to at least 20 years. It also allows prosecutors to charge people with murder if they kill a child during a kidnapping or sexual offense, or have a previous conviction for a felony against a child and kill a child through abuse. Senate Bill 3 makes the following changes to Alaska's laws:

• adds a new form of first degree murder when the death of a child results from the commission or attempted commission of kidnapping or a sexual offense;
• expands the list of offenses constituting felony murder to include sexual abuse of a minor in the first and second degrees;
• adds a new form of second degree murder when a person causes the death of a child with criminal negligence and has a previous felony conviction against a child;
• elevates criminally negligent homicide from a class C to a class B felony,
• increases the mandatory minimum sentence (from five to seven years) for manslaughter, when the victim is a child under the age of sixteen;
• allows a term of unsuspended imprisonment longer than the presumptive term for certain felony offenses if the victim is a child under the age of 16;
• expands the crime of custodial interference in the first degree to include the act of keeping a child or incompetent person outside of the state;
• clarifies language in the sex offender registry statute; and
• elevates solicitation of murder to an unclassified felony.

Senate Bill 3 was passed with a unanimous vote by the Senate in February and is expected to be sent to the Governor for his signature soon.

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