BILL NUMBER: AB 201 INTRODUCED
BILL TEXT
INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Brough
JANUARY 29, 2015
An act to amend Section 290.03 of the Penal Code, relating to
registered sex offenders.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
AB 201, as introduced, Brough. Registered sex offenders: local
ordinances.
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. Existing law, as adopted by the voters by the
passage of Proposition 83 at the November 7, 2006, statewide general
election, prohibits a person who is required to register as a sex
offender from living in specified places, including within 2,000 feet
of a school or park where children regularly gather. Existing law
authorizes municipal jurisdictions to enact local ordinances that
further restrict the residency of the registered sex offender.
Existing law makes it a misdemeanor for a person who is on parole for
specified sex offenses to enter any park where children regularly
gather without express permission from the person's parole agent.
This bill would state that a local agency is not preempted by
state law from enacting and enforcing an ordinance that restricts a
registered sex offender from residing or being present at certain
locations within the local agency's jurisdiction. The bill would
authorize a local agency to adopt ordinances, rules, or regulations
that are more restrictive than state law relating to a registered sex
offender's ability to reside or be present at certain locations
within the local agency's jurisdiction.
Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: no.
State-mandated local program: no.
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. Section 290.03 of the Penal Code is amended to read:
290.03. (a) The Legislature finds and declares that a
comprehensive system of risk assessment, supervision, monitoring and
containment for registered sex offenders residing in California
communities is necessary to enhance public safety and reduce the risk
of recidivism posed by these offenders. The Legislature further
affirms and incorporates the following findings and declarations,
previously reflected in its enactment of "Megan's Law":
(1) Sex offenders pose a potentially high risk of committing
further sex offenses after release from incarceration or commitment,
and the protection of the public from reoffending by these offenders
is a paramount public interest.
(2) It is a compelling and necessary public interest that the
public have information concerning persons convicted of offenses
involving unlawful sexual behavior collected pursuant to Sections 290
and 290.4 to allow members of the public to adequately protect
themselves and their children from these persons.
(3) Persons convicted of these offenses involving unlawful sexual
behavior have a reduced expectation of privacy because of the public'
s interest in public safety.
(4) In balancing the offenders' due process and other rights
against the interests of public security, the Legislature finds that
releasing information about sex offenders under the circumstances
specified in the Sex Offender Punishment, Control, and Containment
Act of 2006 will further the primary government interest of
protecting vulnerable populations from potential harm.
(5) The registration of sex offenders, the public release of
specified information about certain sex offenders pursuant to
Sections 290 and 290.4, and public notice of the presence of certain
high risk sex offenders in communities will further the governmental
interests of public safety and public scrutiny of the criminal and
mental health systems that deal with these offenders.
(6) To protect the safety and general welfare of the people of
this state, it is necessary to provide for continued registration of
sex offenders, for the public release of specified information
regarding certain more serious sex offenders, and for community
notification regarding high risk sex offenders who are about to be
released from custody or who already reside in communities in this
state. This policy of authorizing the release of necessary and
relevant information about serious and high risk sex offenders to
members of the general public is a means of assuring public
protection and shall not be construed as punitive.
(7) The Legislature also declares, however, that in making
information available about certain sex offenders to the public, it
does not intend that the information be used to inflict retribution
or additional punishment on any person convicted of a sex offense.
While the Legislature is aware of the possibility of misuse, it finds
that the dangers to the public of nondisclosure far outweigh the
risk of possible misuse of the information. The Legislature is
further aware of studies in Oregon and Washington indicating that
community notification laws and public release of similar information
in those states have resulted in little criminal misuse of the
information and that the enhancement to public safety has been
significant.
(b) In enacting the Sex Offender Punishment, Control, and
Containment Act of 2006, the Legislature hereby creates a
standardized, statewide system to identify, assess, monitor and
contain known sex offenders for the purpose of reducing the risk of
recidivism posed by these offenders, thereby protecting victims and
potential victims from future harm.
(c) (1) A local agency is not preempted by state law from enacting
and enforcing an ordinance that restricts a person required to
register pursuant to Section 290 from residing or being present at
certain locations within the local agency's jurisdiction.
(2) A local agency may adopt ordinances, rules, or regulations
that are more restrictive than state law relating to a person's
ability to reside or be present at certain locations within the local
agency's jurisdiction when the person is required to register
pursuant to Section 290.
(3) For purposes of this subdivision, "local agency" means a city,
county, or city and county.