Assigned to JUD                                                                                                                                AS VETOED

 

 

 

 


ARIZONA STATE SENATE

Fifty-Sixth Legislature, First Regular Session

 

VETOED

FACT SHEET FOR s.b. 1253

 

sex offender registration; school notification

Purpose

Requires a person who must be registered as a sex offender and who is the legal guardian of a student at a public or private school to annually provide notice of the person's registration status to the principal or administrator of the school within 10 days after the student's enrollment in the school.

Background

When a person who is required to register on the sex offender registry is released from confinement, the agency that had custody of the person must enter the person's identifying information into the notification database within 72 hours of the person's release. Community notification requirements for level two and three sex-offenders require the notification to be disseminated in a nonelectronic format to the surrounding neighborhood, area schools, appropriate community groups and prospective employers as well as be given to the local electronic and print media. Local law enforcement agencies responsible for notification maintain information on level one offenders and may disseminate it to other law enforcement agencies or parties who live with the offender (A.R.S. § 13-3825).

There is no anticipated fiscal impact to the state General Fund associated with this legislation.

Provisions

1.   Requires a person who must be registered as a sex offender and who is the legal guardian of a student at a public or private school to annually provide notice of the person's registration status to the principal or administrator of the school within 10 days after the student's enrollment in the school.

2.   Requires the sex offender's probation officer, if the person is on probation at the time of the student's enrollment, to annually determine if the requirement to notify a school applies to a probationer, and subsequently verify that the school has received the required notification.

3.   Becomes effective on the general effective date.

Amendments Adopted by Committee

1.   Requires the sex offender's probation officer, if the person is on probation at the time of the student's enrollment, to verify that the school has received the required notification within 30 days after the student's enrollment.

2.   Specifies that the notice must be provided to the school within 10 days of the student's enrollment at the school

Amendments Adopted by Committee of the Whole

1.   Specifies that a registered sex offender must notify the principal or administrator of the school in which their child is enrolled.

2.   Requires a probation officer to annually determine if the requirement to notify a school of sex offender registration status applies to the probationer.

3.   Removes the requirement that verification of a school's notification be done within 30 days of the student's enrollment at the school.

Governor's Veto Message

The Governor indicates in her veto message that current law already outlines requirements for the registration of sex offenders with the Department of Public Safety and compliance with various ongoing notification requirements, including notifying school districts in which a sex offender lives.

Senate Action                                                          House Action

JUD                 2/16/23     DPA    4-3-0                   JUD                 3/8/23        DP       4-3-0-1

3rd Read          2/27/23                  16-13-1               3rd Read          3/29/23                  31-26-3

Vetoed by the Governor 4/6/23

Prepared by Senate Research

April 10, 2023

ZD/sr