Bill > S161

Introduced Session

The purpose of this bill is to expand Megan's Law to require municipal governing bodies to be notified when a sex offender moves into a municipality and to restrict sex offenders from residing in areas frequented by children. The bill would require that when a sex offender listed on the Internet registry maintained by the Superintendent of the State Police registers with the chief law enforcement officer of a municipality, the officer shall forward the name and address of the sex offender to the governing body of the municipality. If the sex offender must register with the Superintendent of State Police because he is moving to a municipality that does not have a police force, then the Superintendent of State Police shall forward the sex offender's name and address to the governing body of the municipality in which the sex offender intends to reside. The bill would also make it a disorderly persons offense for a sex offender whose risk of re-offense has been assessed as moderate or high to reside within 500 feet of an elementary or secondary school, playground or child care center. The residential ban would not cover a sex offender that resides at a prison or mental health facility within 500 feet of an elementary or secondary school, playground or child care center; a sex offender that continues to reside at a residence established before the bill's enactment which is within 500 feet of an elementary or secondary school, playground or child care center; or a sex offender that has a school, playground or child care center established or built within 500 feet of their existing residence. A disorderly persons offense is punishable by imprisonment for up to six months, a fine not exceeding $1,000, or both.

Committee Categories

Christopher Connors (R)*,  Linda Greenstein (D)*, 

Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Law and Public Safety Committee (on 01/11/2022)

Official Document