BILL ANALYSIS
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|SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | SB 668|
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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
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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
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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
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