BILL ANALYSIS ------------------------------------------------------------ |SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | SB 668| |Office of Senate Floor Analyses | | |1020 N Street, Suite 524 | | |(916) 651-1520 Fax: (916) | | |327-4478 | | ------------------------------------------------------------ THIRD READING Bill No: SB 668 Author: Hollingsworth (R) Amended: 5/5/09 Vote: 21 SENATE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE : 7-0, 4/28/09 AYES: Leno, Benoit, Cedillo, Hancock, Huff, Steinberg, Wright SUBJECT : Sex offenders SOURCE : San Diego County District Attorneys Office DIGEST : This bill adds clarifying language to Section 290.018 of the Penal Code dealing with the prosecution of registered sex offenders under any applicable provision of law. ANALYSIS : Existing law, the Sex Offender Registration Act, requires persons convicted of specified sex offenses to register with local authorities for life while residing, located, attending school, or working in California, and requires preregistration and reregistration, as specified. Existing law also provides that the failure to provide information required on registration and reregistration forms of the Department of Justice, or the provision of false information, is punishable by imprisonment in a county jail not to exceed one year. This bill provides that nothing in the latter provision CONTINUED SB 668 Page 2 shall be construed to limit or prevent prosecution under any applicable provision of law. FISCAL EFFECT : Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.: No Local: No SUPPORT : (Verified 5/12/09) San Diego County District Attorney's Office (source) Association for Los Angeles Deputy Sheriffs California District Attorneys Association City of Hemet City of Menifee City of Wildomar Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office Murrieta Police Department Riverside County District Attorney's Office Riverside Sheriffs' Association ARGUMENTS IN SUPPORT : According to the author's office, California requires those convicted of specified sex offenses to register with local law enforcement for life. The purpose of sex offender registration is to assure that these offenders are available for police surveillance at all times because the Legislature has deemed them likely to commit similar offenses in the future. Registered sex offenders are required to update their information annually, within five working days of their birthday. Some sex offenders must update more often: transients must update every 30 days, and sexually violent predators, every 90 days. Currently, if a registrant provides false information on his registration form, the registrant is subject to a misdemeanor under Penal Code Section 290.018 (j), regardless of whether his underlying registration crime is a misdemeanor or felony. In October 2006, a former Sexually Violent Predator (SVP) named Matt Lyon Williams was released unconditionally in Lakeside, an unincorporated community in East San Diego County. He registered as a transient and stated he had no automobile. His case SB 668 Page 3 revealed serious weaknesses in the sex offender laws related to providing truthful information when registering. Authorities re-arrested Williams after discovering he had a vehicle and a home residence. The state must send a clear message to registrants that California takes its registration requirements very seriously. It is our aim to make offenders think twice before providing false information when completing their registration forms. RJG:nl 5/12/09 Senate Floor Analyses SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: SEE ABOVE **** END ****