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                                                       PRINTER'S NO. 328

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA


HOUSE BILL

No. 286 Session of 2007


        INTRODUCED BY W. KELLER, BARRAR, BEYER, BOYD, CLYMER, COSTA,
           DALEY, DeLUCA, DePASQUALE, FREEMAN, GEIST, GRUCELA, JAMES,
           M. KELLER, KILLION, KING, KULA, MENSCH, MICOZZIE, MOUL, MURT,
           PETRARCA, ROAE, SCAVELLO, SCHRODER, SIPTROTH, STABACK,
           STURLA, WALKO AND YOUNGBLOOD, FEBRUARY 7, 2007

        REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON JUDICIARY, FEBRUARY 7, 2007

                                     AN ACT

     1  Amending Title 42 (Judiciary and Judicial Procedure) of the
     2     Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, further providing, in
     3     registration of sexual offenders, for registration procedures
     4     and applicability, for verification of residence and e-mail
     5     address, for victim notification and for other notification.

     6     The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
     7  hereby enacts as follows:
     8     Section 1.  Section 9795.2(a)(1) and (2) of Title 42 of the
     9  Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, amended November 24, 2004
    10  (P.L.1243, No.152) and November 29, 2006 (P.L.  , No.178), are
    11  amended to read:
    12  § 9795.2.  Registration procedures and applicability.
    13     (a)  Registration.--
    14         (1)  Offenders and sexually violent predators shall be
    15     required to register with the Pennsylvania State Police upon
    16     release from incarceration, upon parole from a State or
    17     county correctional institution or upon the commencement of a
    18     sentence of intermediate punishment or probation. For

     1     purposes of registration, offenders and sexually violent
     2     predators shall provide the Pennsylvania State Police with
     3     all current or intended residences and e-mail addresses, all
     4     information concerning current or intended employment and all
     5     information concerning current or intended enrollment as a
     6     student.
     7         (2)  Offenders and sexually violent predators shall
     8     inform the Pennsylvania State Police within 48 hours of:
     9             (i)  Any change of residence or establishment of an
    10         additional residence or residences and any change of e-
    11         mail address or establishment of an additional e-mail
    12         address or addresses.
    13             (ii)  Any change of employer or employment location
    14         for a period of time that will exceed 14 days or for an
    15         aggregate period of time that will exceed 30 days during
    16         any calendar year, or termination of employment.
    17             (iii)  Any change of institution or location at which
    18         the person is enrolled as a student, or termination of
    19         enrollment.
    20             (iv)  Becoming employed or enrolled as a student if
    21         the person has not previously provided that information
    22         to the Pennsylvania State Police.
    23         * * *
    24     Section 2.  Section 9796 of Title 42, amended November 24,
    25  2004 (P.L.1243, No.152), is amended to read:
    26  § 9796.  Verification of residence and e-mail address.
    27     (a)  Quarterly verification by sexually violent predators.--
    28  The Pennsylvania State Police shall verify the residence, e-mail
    29  address and compliance with counseling as provided for in
    30  section 9799.4 (relating to counseling of sexually violent
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     1  predators) of sexually violent predators every 90 days through
     2  the use of a nonforwardable verification [form] or forms to the
     3  last reported residence and e-mail address. For the period of
     4  registration required by section 9795.1 (relating to
     5  registration), a sexually violent predator shall appear
     6  quarterly between January 5 and January 15, April 5 and April
     7  15, July 5 and July 15 and October 5 and October 15 of each
     8  calendar year at an approved registration site to complete a
     9  verification form and to be photographed.
    10     (a.1)  Facilitation of quarterly verification.--The
    11  Pennsylvania State Police shall facilitate and administer the
    12  verification process required by subsection (a) by:
    13         (1)  sending a notice by first class United States mail
    14     to all registered sexually violent predators at their last
    15     reported residence addresses[. This notice] and an electronic
    16     notice to all registered sexually violent predators at their
    17     last reported e-mail addresses. These notices shall be sent
    18     not more than 30 days nor less than 15 days prior to each of
    19     the quarterly verification periods set forth in subsection
    20     (a) and shall remind sexually violent predators of their
    21     quarterly verification requirement and provide them with a
    22     list of approved registration sites; and
    23         (2)  providing verification and compliance forms as
    24     necessary to each approved registration site not less than
    25     ten days before each of the quarterly verification periods.
    26     (b)  Annual verification by offenders.--The Pennsylvania
    27  State Police shall verify the residence and e-mail addresses of
    28  offenders. For the period of registration required by section
    29  9795.1, an offender shall appear within ten days before each
    30  annual anniversary date of the offender's initial registration
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     1  under section 9795.1 at an approved registration site to
     2  complete a verification form and to be photographed.
     3     (b.1)  Facilitation of annual verification.--The Pennsylvania
     4  State Police shall facilitate and administer the verification
     5  process required by subsection (b) by:
     6         (1)  sending a notice by first class United States mail
     7     to all registered offenders at their last reported residence
     8     addresses[. This notice] and an electronic notice to all
     9     registered sexually violent predators at their last reported
    10     e-mail addresses. These notices shall be sent not more than
    11     30 days nor less than 15 days prior to each offender's annual
    12     anniversary date and shall remind the offender of the annual
    13     verification requirement and provide the offender with a list
    14     of approved registration sites; and
    15         (2)  providing verification and compliance forms as
    16     necessary to each approved registration site.
    17     (c)  Notification of law enforcement agencies of change of
    18  residence.--A change of residence or e-mail address of an
    19  offender or sexually violent predator required to register under
    20  this subchapter reported to the Pennsylvania State Police shall
    21  be immediately reported by the Pennsylvania State Police to the
    22  appropriate law enforcement agency having jurisdiction of the
    23  offender's or the sexually violent predator's new place of
    24  residence or, in the case of change of e-mail address, the
    25  current place of residence. The Pennsylvania State Police shall,
    26  if the offender or sexually violent predator changes residence
    27  to another state, notify the law enforcement agency with which
    28  the offender or sexually violent predator must register in the
    29  new state.
    30     (d)  Failure to provide verification.--Where an offender or
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     1  sexually violent predator fails to provide verification of
     2  residence or e-mail address within the ten-day period as set
     3  forth in this section, the Pennsylvania State Police shall
     4  immediately notify the municipal police department of the
     5  offender's or the sexually violent predator's last verified
     6  residence. The local municipal police shall locate the offender
     7  or sexually violent predator and arrest him for violating this
     8  section. The Pennsylvania State Police shall assume
     9  responsibility for locating the offender or sexually violent
    10  predator and arresting him in jurisdictions where no municipal
    11  police jurisdiction exists. The Pennsylvania State Police shall
    12  assist any municipal police department requesting assistance
    13  with locating and arresting an offender or sexually violent
    14  predator who fails to verify his residence or e-mail address.
    15     (e)  Penalty.--An individual subject to registration under
    16  section 9795.1(a) or (b) who fails to verify his residence or e-
    17  mail address or to be photographed as required by this section
    18  may be subject to prosecution under 18 Pa.C.S. § 4915 (relating
    19  to failure to comply with registration of sexual offenders
    20  requirements).
    21     (f)  Effect of notice.--Neither failure on the part of the
    22  Pennsylvania State Police to send nor failure of a sexually
    23  violent predator or offender to receive any notice or
    24  information under subsection (a.1) or (b.1) shall relieve that
    25  predator or offender from the requirements of this subchapter.
    26     Section 3.  Section 9797(a)(1) of Title 42 is amended to
    27  read:
    28  § 9797.  Victim notification.
    29     (a)  Duty to inform victim.--
    30         (1)  Where the individual is determined to be a sexually
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     1     violent predator by a court under section 9795.4 (relating to
     2     assessments), the local municipal police department or the
     3     Pennsylvania State Police where no municipal police
     4     jurisdiction exists shall give written notice to the sexually
     5     violent predator's victim when the sexually violent predator
     6     registers initially and when he notifies the Pennsylvania
     7     State Police of any change of residence or e-mail address.
     8     This notice shall be given within 72 hours after the sexually
     9     violent predator registers or notifies the Pennsylvania State
    10     Police of a change of address or e-mail address. The notice
    11     shall contain the sexually violent predator's name and the
    12     address or addresses where he resides and any e-mail address
    13     used by him.
    14         * * *
    15     Section 4.  Section 9798(a) and (c) of Title 42, amended
    16  November 24, 2004 (P.L.1243, No.152), are amended to read:
    17  § 9798.  Other notification.
    18     (a)  Notice by municipality's chief law enforcement
    19  officer.--Notwithstanding any of the provisions of 18 Pa.C.S.
    20  Ch. 91 (relating to criminal history record information), the
    21  chief law enforcement officer of the full-time or part-time
    22  police department of the municipality where a sexually violent
    23  predator lives shall be responsible for providing written notice
    24  as required under this section.
    25         (1)  The notice shall contain:
    26             (i)  The name of the convicted sexually violent
    27         predator.
    28             (ii)  The address or addresses at which he resides
    29         and e-mail address or addresses that he uses.
    30             (iii)  The offense for which he was convicted,
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     1         sentenced by a court, adjudicated delinquent or court
     2         martialed.
     3             (iv)  A statement that he has been determined by
     4         court order to be a sexually violent predator, which
     5         determination has or has not been terminated as of a date
     6         certain.
     7             (v)  A photograph of the sexually violent predator,
     8         if available.
     9         (2)  The notice shall not include any information that
    10     might reveal the victim's name, identity and residence.
    11     * * *
    12     (c)  Urgency of notification.--The municipal police
    13  department's chief law enforcement officer shall provide notice
    14  within the following time frames:
    15         (1)  To neighbors, notice shall be provided within five
    16     days after information of the sexually violent predator's
    17     release date [and residence], residence and e-mail address
    18     has been received by the chief law enforcement officer.
    19     Notwithstanding the provisions of subsections (a) and (b),
    20     verbal notification may be used if written notification would
    21     delay meeting this time requirement.
    22         (2)  To the persons specified in subsection (b)(2), (3),
    23     (4) and (5), notice shall be provided within seven days after
    24     the chief law enforcement officer receives information
    25     regarding the sexually violent predator's release date [and
    26     residence], residence and e-mail address.
    27     * * *
    28     Section 5.  This act shall take effect in 60 days.


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