Bill > S895

This bill proposes to amend existing law regarding sex offender registration by inserting a new subsection (r) into Section 178E of Chapter 6 of the General Laws. This new provision mandates that all individuals convicted or adjudicated of a sex offense, specifically those designated as a sexually violent offense or a sex offense against a child under the Jacob Wetterling Crimes Against Children and Sexually Violent Offender Registration Act (often referred to as the Wetterling Act), must register as Level 1 sex offenders within 72 hours. This registration is required regardless of whether they are adults (facing a minimum of lifetime Level 1 registration) or juveniles (facing a minimum of 20-year registration), and it occurs while they are awaiting a final determination of their registration level (Level 1, 2, or 3) by the Sex Offender Registry Board, which is statutorily obligated to provide them with due process rights before finalizing their classification.