Requires AOC, in conjunction with State Parole Board, to conduct comprehensive study on Megan's Law.

S1289 TR

SENATE, No. 1289

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

�

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2026 SESSION

Sponsored by:

Senator LINDA R. GREENSTEIN

District 14 (Mercer and Middlesex)

SYNOPSIS

���� Requires AOC, in conjunction with State Parole Board,
to conduct comprehensive study on Megan's Law.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

���� As reported by the Senate Law and Public Safety
Committee with technical review.

��

An Act

concerning sex offenders and amending P.L.2007,
c.227.

����
Be It
Enacted
by the Senate and General Assembly of
the State of New Jersey:

���� 1.��� Section 2 of P.L.2007,
c.227 (C.2C:7-21) is amended to read as follows:

���� 2.��� a.� The
[
Violence
Institute of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey
]

Administrative
Office of the Courts, in conjunction with the State Parole Board,
shall
[
undertake
]

conduct
a
comprehensive study of the implementation and application of Megan's Law.�
Specifically, the
[
institute
]

study

shall examine the implementation and application of P.L.1994, c.133 (C.2C:7-1
et al.), which requires registration by sex offenders and P.L.1994, c.128
(C.2C:7-6 et seq.), which requires community notification for certain sex
offenders.

���� b.��� The study shall evaluate
the current procedures utilized by the county prosecutors and the courts in
determining a sex offender's tier designation and implementing community
notification.� In evaluating these procedures, the study shall examine the
disposition of all sex offenders who have registered and have been assigned a
tier rating since the enactment of Megan's Law
, or from the earliest date
permitted by the availability of reliable records
.� The study shall make
recommendations regarding the standardization of procedures for evaluating the
risk of re-offense, assigning tier designations, implementing community
notification, and ensuring uniform application of the Attorney General's
guidelines by law enforcement in providing community notification.� In
addition, the study shall examine the use of the Internet registry in providing
information to the public about sex offenders.� Specifically, the study shall
review the implementation of P.L.2001, c.167 (C.2C:7-12 et seq.) and determine
whether the Internet registry has accomplished its mission to inform the public
of dangerous sex offenders, or if geographic inconsistencies have mitigated its
effectiveness.� Finally, the study shall examine whether a central agency
should be charged with the administration of Megan's Law and the determination
as to which offenders appear on the Internet registry.

����
c.���� The Administrative
Office of the Courts, in conjunction with the State Parole Board, no later than
12 months after the effective date of P.L.��� , c.��� (pending before the
Legislature as this bill) and biannually thereafter, shall submit a report of its
findings and recommendations to the Governor and, pursuant to section 2 of
P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1) to the Legislature.

(cf:� P.L.2007, c.227, s.2)

���� 2.��� This act shall take
effect immediately.