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                                                      PRINTER'S NO. 2906

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA


HOUSE BILL

No. 2217 Session of 2000


        INTRODUCED BY BLAUM, GEORGE, COY, SEYFERT, TIGUE, SOLOBAY,
           DALEY, WOJNAROSKI, READSHAW, GRUCELA, STABACK, TRUE,
           S. MILLER, BELARDI, SANTONI, CLARK, LEDERER, McCALL, LUCYK,
           CORRIGAN, STEELMAN, PLATTS, HASAY, McNAUGHTON, BATTISTO,
           HARHAI, J. TAYLOR, GANNON, WILLIAMS, YOUNGBLOOD AND BROWNE,
           FEBRUARY 2, 2000

        REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON JUDICIARY, FEBRUARY 2, 2000

                                     AN ACT

     1  Amending Title 42 (Judiciary and Judicial Procedure) of the
     2     Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, providing for the
     3     establishment and administration of a juvenile sex offender
     4     registry.

     5     The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
     6  hereby enacts as follows:
     7     Section 1.  Section 6302 of Title 42 of the Pennsylvania
     8  Consolidated Statutes is amended by adding definitions to read:
     9  § 6302.  Definitions.
    10     The following words and phrases when used in this chapter
    11  shall have, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the
    12  meanings given to them in this section:
    13     * * *
    14     "Extended jurisdiction juvenile sex offender."  A child
    15  adjudicated as a juvenile sex offender as defined in this
    16  section and determined by the court as likely to commit any of
    17  the offenses enumerated in the definition of juvenile sex

     1  offender and is under the age of 24 years.
     2     "Juvenile sex offender."
     3         (1)  A child adjudicated delinquent of any of the
     4     following conduct, regardless of the age of the victim, which
     5     if committed by an adult would be classified as a felony:
     6         18 Pa.C.S. § 2901 (relating to kidnapping).
     7         18 Pa.C.S. § 3121 (relating to rape).
     8         18 Pa.C.S. § 3123 (relating to involuntary deviate sexual
     9     intercourse).
    10         18 Pa.C.S. § 3125 (relating to aggravated indecent
    11     assault).
    12         18 Pa.C.S. § 5902 (b) (relating to prostitution and
    13     related offenses).
    14         18 Pa.C.S. § 5903 (a)(3), (4), (5) or (6) (relating to
    15     obscene and other sexual materials and performances).
    16         (2)  A child adjudicated delinquent of conduct in
    17     violation of 18 Pa.C.S. § 3126 (relating to indecent assault)
    18     which if committed by an adult would be a misdemeanor.
    19         (3)  A child under the age of 21 years who has been
    20     adjudicated delinquent in any other state, territory or the
    21     District of Columbia, or in any Federal court for an offense
    22     equivalent to any of the offenses listed under this
    23     definition, who becomes a resident of Pennsylvania and is
    24     subject to juvenile court jurisdiction under the interstate
    25     compact on juveniles.
    26     * * *
    27     Section 2.  Chapter 63 of Title 42 is amended by adding a
    28  subchapter to read:
    29                            SUBCHAPTER F
    30                   JUVENILE SEX OFFENDER REGISTRY
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     1  Sec.
     2  6371.  Juvenile sex offender registry.
     3  6372.  Registration of juvenile sex offenders.
     4  6373.  Duties of juvenile court.
     5  6374.  Duty of notice by placement.
     6  6375.  Extended jurisdiction for juvenile sex offenders.
     7  6376.  Verification of residence.
     8  6377.  Victim notification.
     9  6378.  Immunity for good faith conduct.
    10  § 6371.  Juvenile sex offender registry.
    11     (a)  Establishment of registry.--The Pennsylvania State
    12  Police shall establish and maintain a registry of juvenile sex
    13  offenders. The registry shall include information required under
    14  section 6308 (relating to law enforcement records) and any other
    15  information required under this title.
    16     (b)  Local law enforcement registration.--Within 72 hours of
    17  receiving the juvenile sex offender's registration, the
    18  Pennsylvania State Police shall notify the chief law enforcement
    19  officer of the police department having primary jurisdiction of
    20  the municipality in which a juvenile sex offender resides of the
    21  fact that the juvenile sex offender has been registered pursuant
    22  to sections 6372 (relating to registration of juvenile sex
    23  offenders) and 6376 (relating to verification of residence).
    24     (c)  Regulations.--In consultation with the Office of
    25  Attorney General and the Juvenile Court Judges Commission, the
    26  Pennsylvania State Police shall promulgate regulations necessary
    27  for the general administration of the juvenile sex offender
    28  registry.
    29  § 6372.  Registration of juvenile sex offenders.
    30     A juvenile sex offender shall be required to register a
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     1  current address with the Pennsylvania State Police until the
     2  offender reaches 21 years of age unless he is subject to the
     3  requirements of section 6375 (relating to extended jurisdiction
     4  for juvenile sex offenders).
     5  § 6373.  Duties of juvenile court.
     6     At the time of disposition the committing court of
     7  jurisdiction of the juvenile sex offender shall provide written
     8  notification to the juvenile sex offender and the parents or
     9  guardian of the juvenile sex offender of the duty to register at
    10  the time of disposition. The court shall:
    11         (1)  Inform the juvenile sex offender and the parents or
    12     guardian of the duty to register with the Pennsylvania State
    13     Police within ten days.
    14         (2)  Inform the juvenile sex offender and the parents or
    15     guardian of the duty to inform the Pennsylvania State Police
    16     within ten days if the juvenile sex offender changes
    17     residence. This includes the address of any placement to
    18     which the offender is committed following adjudication.
    19         (3)  Order the fingerprints and photograph of the
    20     juvenile sex offender to be provided to the Pennsylvania
    21     State Police upon a finding of delinquency as required under
    22     section 6309(c) (relating to juvenile history record
    23     information) for inclusion in the juvenile sex offender
    24     registry.
    25         (4)  Require the juvenile sex offender and the parents or
    26     guardian to read and sign a form stating that the duty to
    27     register under this subchapter has been explained. Where the
    28     juvenile sex offender is incapable of reading, the court
    29     shall certify that the duty to register was explained to the
    30     juvenile sex offender and the parents or guardian and that
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     1     the juvenile sex offender indicated an understanding of the
     2     duty.
     3         (5)  Require registration as a condition of probation in
     4     all cases involving juvenile sex offenders.
     5  § 6374.  Duty of notice by placement.
     6     (a)  Duty of notice.--Not later than ten days prior to
     7  release from the custody of any delinquency placement provided
     8  in section 6352 (relating to disposition of delinquent child),
     9  the juvenile sex offender shall again be provided with notice by
    10  the officials of that facility of the duty to register with the
    11  Pennsylvania State Police.
    12     (b)  Release from placement.--An adjudicated juvenile sex
    13  offender shall not be released from any placement by the
    14  committing court of jurisdiction until it has received
    15  verification from the Pennsylvania State Police that
    16  registration has been completed.
    17  § 6375.  Extended jurisdiction for juvenile sex offenders.
    18     (a)  Petition for extended jurisdiction.--When a juvenile sex
    19  offender reaches 21 years of age, the attorney for the
    20  Commonwealth may petition the committing court to extend the
    21  juvenile sex offender's juvenile status for the purpose of
    22  maintaining the juvenile sex offender's registration.
    23     (b)  Hearing.--If the court determines at a hearing that the
    24  Commonwealth has proved beyond a reasonable doubt that the
    25  juvenile sex offender is likely to commit any of the offenses
    26  included in the definition of juvenile sex offender in section
    27  6302 (relating to definitions), the juvenile sex offender shall
    28  be determined to be an extended jurisdiction juvenile sex
    29  offender, subject to the registration requirements of this
    30  subchapter. If no petition is filed or if the court determines
    20000H2217B2906                  - 5 -

     1  the juvenile is not likely to commit the offenses, all
     2  information relating to the juvenile sex offender shall be
     3  deleted from the registry.
     4     (c)  Length of extended jurisdiction.--An extended
     5  jurisdiction juvenile sex offender may remain under the
     6  jurisdiction of the juvenile court only for the purpose of the
     7  registration requirement under this subchapter until 24 years of
     8  age. In all other matters either civil or criminal the extended
     9  jurisdiction juvenile sex offender shall be considered an adult.
    10     (d)  Penalty for failure to register.--An extended
    11  jurisdiction juvenile sex offender who fails to meet the
    12  registration requirements of this subchapter commits a felony of
    13  the third degree.
    14  § 6376.  Verification of residence.
    15     (a)  Annual verification.--The Pennsylvania State Police
    16  shall verify the residence of a juvenile sex offender designated
    17  in section 6371 (relating to juvenile sex offender registry)
    18  annually through the use of a residence verification form. The
    19  form shall be returned to the Pennsylvania State Police within
    20  ten days of the date received.
    21     (b)  Notification of law enforcement agencies of change of
    22  address.--A change of address of a juvenile sex offender
    23  required to register under this subchapter reported to the
    24  Pennsylvania State Police shall be immediately reported by the
    25  Pennsylvania State Police to the appropriate law enforcement
    26  agency having jurisdiction of the juvenile sex offender's new
    27  place of residence. The Pennsylvania State Police shall, if the
    28  juvenile sex offender changes residence to another state that
    29  requires registration of a juvenile sex offender, notify the law
    30  enforcement agency with which the juvenile sex offender must
    20000H2217B2906                  - 6 -

     1  register in the new state.
     2     (c)  Failure to provide verification.--Where any juvenile sex
     3  offender fails to provide verification of residence within the
     4  ten-day period as set forth in this section, the Pennsylvania
     5  State Police shall immediately notify the municipal police
     6  department of the juvenile sex offender's last verified
     7  residence. The local municipal police shall locate the juvenile
     8  sex offender, take him into custody and detain him for violating
     9  this section. The Pennsylvania State Police shall assume
    10  responsibility for locating the juvenile sex offender and taking
    11  into custody and detaining him in jurisdictions where no
    12  municipal police jurisdiction exists. The Pennsylvania State
    13  Police shall assist any municipal police requesting assistance
    14  with locating, taking into custody and detaining a juvenile sex
    15  offender who fails to verify his residence.
    16  § 6377.  Victim notification.
    17     The juvenile sex offender's victim shall be notified in
    18  accordance with the requirements of the act of November 24, 1998
    19  (P.L.882, No.111), known as the Crime Victims Act.
    20  § 6378.  Immunity for good faith conduct.
    21     The following entities shall be immune from liability for
    22  good faith conduct under this subchapter:
    23         (1)  The Pennsylvania State Police and local law
    24     enforcement agencies and employees of law enforcement.
    25         (2)  District attorneys and their agents and employees.
    26         (3)  Directors and employees of county children and youth
    27     agencies.
    28         (4)  Directors and employees of county juvenile courts
    29     and juvenile probation offices.
    30         (5)  Directors and employees of facilities that provide
    20000H2217B2906                  - 7 -

     1     rehabilitation services for juvenile sex offenders.
     2     Section 3.  This act shall take effect on July 1, 2000.



















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