Bill > HR1205

This bill, known as the Safe Shelters Act of 2025, establishes new regulations for sex offenders during emergency shelter situations. The law requires covered sex offenders (those registered on the National Sex Offender Registry) to only enter designated shelters during disasters, with limited exceptions for seeking information about such shelters. If a covered sex offender enters an undesignated shelter, they must immediately notify shelter staff of their registry status, and staff must then inform the offender about designated shelters. The bill authorizes the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator to designate specific federal buildings or prisons as shelters exclusively for registered sex offenders during disaster responses. Violating these provisions could result in fines, imprisonment of up to 5 years, or both. The bill provides clear definitions for terms like "covered sex offender," "emergency shelter," and "designated shelter," and requires the General Services Administration and Bureau of Prisons to provide FEMA with lists of potential designated shelters. The provisions will take effect 180 days after the bill's enactment, giving federal agencies time to prepare and establish the necessary infrastructure and protocols.

Business and Industry, Transportation and Infrastructure

https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/1205/all-info