BILL NUMBER: AB 2208 AMENDED
BILL TEXT
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY APRIL 5, 2010
INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Torres
FEBRUARY 18, 2010
An act to amend Section 290.015 of, and to add Section 290.96 to,
the Penal Code, relating to sex offenders.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
AB 2208, as amended, Torres. Sex offenders: social networking
prohibition.
Existing law requires persons who have been convicted of specified
crimes, and other persons as required by a court, to register as a
sex offender. Existing law sets forth the procedure for doing so and
provides that a violation of the sex offender registration law is a
crime, punishable as specified.
This bill would, in addition, make it a misdemeanor for any person
required to register as a sex offender to use any Internet social
network networking Web site, as
defined. The bill would authorize the person to seek an
exception to the prohibition for legitimate professional purposes by
applying through the appropriate parole or probation supervising
agency when that person is on parole or probation or by
applying through the Department of Justice when that person is not on
parole or probation. Approval would be valid for one year, unless
revoked. The bill would authorize an annual application for renewal.
By creating a new crime, this bill would impose a
state-mandated local program.
The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local
agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the
state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that
reimbursement.
This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this
act for a specified reason.
Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes.
State-mandated local program: yes.
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. Section 290.015 of the Penal Code is amended to read:
290.015. (a) A person who is subject to the Act shall register,
or reregister if the person has previously registered, upon release
from incarceration, placement, commitment, or release on probation
pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 290. This section shall not
apply to a person who is incarcerated for less than 30 days if he or
she has registered as required by the Act, he or she returns after
incarceration to the last registered address, and the annual update
of registration that is required to occur within five working days of
his or her birthday, pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 290.012,
did not fall within that incarceration period. The registration
shall consist of all of the following:
(1) (A) A statement in writing signed by the person, giving
information as shall be required by the Department of Justice and
giving the name and address of the person's employer, and the address
of the person's place of employment if that is different from the
employer's main address.
(B) The statement shall include a notice that the person is
prohibited from using any Internet social network
networking Web site pursuant to Section 290.96.
(2) The fingerprints and a current photograph of the person taken
by the registering official.
(3) The license plate number of any vehicle owned by, regularly
driven by, or registered in the name of the person.
(4) Notice to the person that, in addition to the requirements of
the Act, he or she may have a duty to register in any other state
where he or she may relocate.
(5) Copies of adequate proof of residence, which shall be limited
to a California driver's license, California identification card,
recent rent or utility receipt, printed personalized checks or other
recent banking documents showing that person's name and address, or
any other information that the registering official believes is
reliable. If the person has no residence and no reasonable
expectation of obtaining a residence in the foreseeable future, the
person shall so advise the registering official and shall sign a
statement provided by the registering official stating that fact.
Upon presentation of proof of residence to the registering official
or a signed statement that the person has no residence, the person
shall be allowed to register. If the person claims that he or she has
a residence but does not have any proof of residence, he or she
shall be allowed to register but shall furnish proof of residence
within 30 days of the date he or she is allowed to register.
(6) All e-mail addresses and Internet identifiers that the person
currently uses or will use, within five days of establishing a new
account.
(b) (1) Within three days thereafter, the
registering law enforcement agency or agencies shall forward the
statement, fingerprints, photograph, e-mail addresses, Internet
identifiers, and vehicle license plate number, if any, to the
Department of Justice.
(2) The Department of Justice may release e-mail addresses of
Section 290 registrants to Internet social networking Web sites to
allow those Internet Web sites to conduct searches and purges of
those e-mail addresses and users from their Internet Web sites,
provided that the Internet social networking Web sites share all
lists of purged e-mail addresses with the Department of Justice who
can then report noncompliant registrants to the appropriate
authorities.
SEC. 2. Section 290.96 is added to the Penal Code, to read:
290.96. (a) Any person who is required to register under the
act Sex Offender Registration Act shall
be prohibited from using any Internet social network
networking Web site.
(b) Any person who violates this section is guilty of a
misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment in a county jail for not
exceeding six months, by a fine not exceeding one thousand dollars
($1,000), or by both that imprisonment and fine.
(c) For the purposes of this section, "social network Web site"
means any Internet Web site designed with the intent of allowing
users to build networks or connect with other people and that
provides means for users to interact over the Internet.
(c) (1) Any person who is required to register pursuant to the Sex
Offender Registration Act and who seeks an exception to the
prohibition to use an Internet social networking Web site for
legitimate professional purposes may apply for an exception to the
prohibition through the appropriate parole or probation supervising
agency when that person is on parole or probation. Approval shall be
valid for one year unless revoked by the supervising agency with
notice to the person required to register. The person may apply to
renew the exception annually.
(2) Any person who is required to register under the Sex Offender
Registration Act, who is not on parole or probation, and who seeks an
exception to the prohibition to use an Internet social networking
Web site for legitimate professional purposes may apply for an
exception to the prohibition through the Department of Justice.
Approval shall be valid for one year unless revoked by the department
with notice to the person required to register. The person may apply
to renew the exception annually.
(d) For the purposes of this section, "Internet social networking
Web site" is defined as an Internet Web site that does all of the
following:
(1) Allows users, through the creation of Internet Web pages or
profiles or by other means, to provide information about themselves
that is available to the public or to other users.
(2) Offers a mechanism for communication with other users where
those users are likely to include a substantial number of minors.
(3) Has as its primary purpose the facilitation of online social
interactions.
SEC. 3. No reimbursement is required by this act pursuant to
Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California Constitution because
the only costs that may be incurred by a local agency or school
district will be incurred because this act creates a new crime or
infraction, eliminates a crime or infraction, or changes the penalty
for a crime or infraction, within the meaning of Section 17556 of the
Government Code, or changes the definition of a crime within the
meaning of Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California
Constitution.