Sex offenses: registration.

Plain English Breakdown

The official source does not specify what happens if a person cannot attend their hearing in person.

Sex Offender Registration Changes

This law requires sex offenders to attend in-person hearings for removal from the registry and mandates courts to consider specific factors, including the offender's position of trust over the victim and proof of treatment completion.

What This Bill Does

• It allows a court to order someone who wants to leave the sex offender registry to attend their hearing in person.
• The hearing must take place in the county where the person is registered.
• Courts must look at whether the offender had a position of trust or authority over the victim when deciding if they should stay on the registry.
• Courts need proof that the offender completed special treatment for sex offenders before considering removal from the registry.

Who It Names or Affects

• People who are registered as sex offenders in California
• Law enforcement agencies and courts dealing with sex offender cases

Terms To Know

Sex Offender Registry

A list of people convicted of certain crimes related to sexual offenses, which they must update regularly.

SARATSO

The State-Authorized Risk Assessment Tool for Sex Offenders used by courts to assess the risk of someone reoffending.

Limits and Unknowns

• It does not specify what happens if a person cannot attend their hearing in person.
• The bill does not change how long people must stay on the registry initially.
• It is unclear how these changes will affect community safety.

Official Summary Text

AB 1568, as amended, Alanis.
Sex offenses: registration.
Existing law, the Sex Offender Registration Act, requires a person convicted of one of certain crimes, as specified, to register with law enforcement as a sex offender while residing in California or while attending school or working in California, as specified. Existing law, on and after July 1, 2021, authorizes a person to file a petition in the superior court in the county in which they are registered for termination from the sex offender registry on or after their next birthday following the expiration of the mandated minimum registration period.
If the district attorney requests a hearing regarding the above-described petition, under existing law, the district attorney is entitled to present evidence regarding whether community safety would be significantly enhanced by requiring continued registration. Existing law requires the court, in
determining whether to order continued registration pursuant to the hearing, to consider specified information, including the person’s current risk of reoffense as indicated on the State-Authorized Risk Assessment Tool for Sex Offenders (SARATSO), as specified.
This bill would authorize the court to order the petitioner to be present at the hearing described above, as specified.
The bill would require the hearing to be heard in the county in which the person is registered.
The bill would additionally require the court to consider whether the offender was in a position of trust or authority in relation to the victim and proof of participation in or successful completion of sex offender-specific treatment by the offender in the above-described determination. The bill would require the court to verify, as specified, participation in or completion of treatment.
The bill would authorize the court to order specified SARATSO assessments if the court is unable to verify participation in or completion of treatment, or as the court otherwise deems necessary, as
specified.
The bill would make other clarifying changes.

Current Bill Text

Download Bill PDF