Bill > A1835

This bill allows municipalities to create ordinances that restrict where certain sex offenders, specifically those convicted of crimes against minors and deemed a high risk to re-offend, can live, generally prohibiting them from residing within 500 feet of schools, playgrounds, or child care centers, with some exceptions for those already residing there or in specific institutional settings. It also prohibits the construction of new child care centers within 500 feet of a high-risk sex offender's residence and prevents school boards from establishing school bus stops within 250 feet of a high-risk sex offender's residence, unless doing so would create a more dangerous situation for children, in which case the decision must be made in consultation with local law enforcement. The bill defines "person subject to limitations" as an individual over 21 registered as a sex offender for crimes against minors, excluding those assessed as low risk for re-offense, and requires municipalities to create maps of these restricted areas. Additionally, it amends existing law to explicitly grant municipalities the power to regulate the location of sex offenders' residences and modifies regulations for child care centers to prevent their establishment near high-risk sex offenders.