Alaska State Legislature
News from the House Majority

Jerry Ritter, House Majority Press Secretary
State Capitol
Juneau, AK 99801
Phone: (907) 465-3804
web site: http://www.akrepublicans.org
Actuality line: 1-800-478-6540

Senate Moves to Protect Alaska's Children

Puts Alaska in Compliance with "Megan's Law" & Other Changes

For Immediate Release May 11, 1998 Contact: Rep. Joe Ryan at (907) 465-3875.

Juneau -- The Alaska Senate today joined the House of Representatives, unanimously approving House Bill 252, which intensifies sex offender and child kidnapper registration statutes. The bill protects a number of Alaska's most vulnerable citizens by tightening the requirements for the sex offender registration process.

"The intent here is to comply with recent changes to law, including 'Megan's Law' as well as new Department of Justice regulations and procedures," said Representative Joe Ryan (R-Anchorage), sponsor of HB 252. "It also ensures that Alaska remains eligible for the $200-thousand in Byrne Formula Grant funds for states that comply with various acts relating to child protection."

HB 252 establishes penalties for sex offenders who fail to register. It makes current and past criminal histories of sex offenders available to prospective employers. HB 252 also requires the Department of Public Safety to notify the FBI if a sex offender fails to register, cannot be found, or moves to another state.

"One of the most significant features of this legislation is that it requires an offender to register during the last 30 days of a sentence, while he or she is, literally, a "captive audience," Ryan said. "This feature alone should dramatically reduce the opportunities for offenders to escape registering.

# # #