§ 9799.11. Legislative findings, declaration of policy and scope
Purdon's Pennsylvania Statutes and Consolidated StatutesTitle 42 Pa.C.S.A. Judiciary and Judicial ProcedureEffective: June 12, 2018
Effective: June 12, 2018
42 Pa.C.S.A. § 9799.11
Formerly cited as PA ST 42 Pa.C.S.A. § 9791
§ 9799.11. Legislative findings, declaration of policy and scope
(1) In 1995 the General Assembly enacted the act of October 24, 1995 (1st Sp.Sess. P.L. 1079, No. 24),1 commonly referred to as Megan's Law. Through this enactment, the General Assembly intended to comply with legislation enacted by Congress requiring that states provide for the registration of sexual offenders. The Federal statute, the Jacob Wetterling Crimes Against Children and Sexually Violent Offender Registration Act (Public Law 103-322, 42 U.S.C. 14071 et seq.), has been superseded by the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006 (Public Law 109-248, 120 Stat. 587).2
(2) This Commonwealth's laws regarding registration of sexual offenders need to be strengthened. The Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006 provides a mechanism for the Commonwealth to increase its regulation of sexual offenders in a manner which is nonpunitive but offers an increased measure of protection to the citizens of this Commonwealth.
(3) If the public is provided adequate notice and information about sexual offenders, the community can develop constructive plans to prepare for the presence of sexual offenders in the community. This allows communities to meet with law enforcement to prepare and obtain information about the rights and responsibilities of the community and to provide education and counseling to residents, particularly children.
(6) Release of information about sexual offenders to public agencies and the general public will further the governmental interests of public safety and public scrutiny of the criminal and mental health systems so long as the information released is rationally related to the furtherance of those goals.
(1) It is the intention of the General Assembly to substantially comply with the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006 and to further protect the safety and general welfare of the citizens of this Commonwealth by providing for increased regulation of sexual offenders, specifically as that regulation relates to registration of sexual offenders and community notification about sexual offenders.
(2) It is the policy of the Commonwealth to require the exchange of relevant information about sexual offenders among public agencies and officials and to authorize the release of necessary and relevant information about sexual offenders to members of the general public as a means of assuring public protection and shall not be construed as punitive.
Credits
2011, Dec. 20, P.L. 446, No. 111, § 12, effective in one year [Dec. 20, 2012]. Amended 2014, March 14, P.L. 41, No. 19, § 1, imd. effective; 2018, Feb. 21, P.L. 27, No. 10, § 6, imd. effective. Reenacted 2018, June 12, P.L. 140, No. 29, § 4, imd. effective.
42 Pa.C.S.A. § 9799.11, PA ST 42 Pa.C.S.A. § 9799.11
Current through Act 13 of the 2024 Regular Session. Some statute sections may be more current, see credits for details.
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