BILL WOULD PLUG LOOPHOLE IN SEX OFFENDER REGISTRY

PFMLIT ABOUT SEX OFFENDERS, ABOUT SEX OFFENDERS AND OTHERS, General, LAURA AHEARN AND PARENTS FOR MEGANS LAW, LEGISLATION, PFML, STATE BY STATE NEW YORK

Suffolk Life/George Wallace

For the second time in recent years, a New York State Assembly bill that would plug a loopholeallowing sexual predators with mental disorders to be released into a community without signingonto the sex offender registry has been approved. However, there is little chance that the billwill become state law without a legislator to sponsor a companion bill in the NYS Senate. I'mlooking to find a Senate sponsor, said Assemblywoman Pat Eddington (WF-Medford) after the bill waspassed unanimously by the Assembly. It's an important law. A person who commits a sexual offense,even if they are mentally deficient, needs to register. Parents need to know that people are outthere. I hope a Long Island senator will support this. Megan's Law is a corrections law, saidLaura Ahearn, executive director of Parents for Megan's Law. We were concerned about that and wentto Assemblywoman Eddington with it. Eddington and Ahearn are both hoping that a senator will stepup to the plate. A one-house bill isn't going to do us any good, said Ahearn. There has to be aRepublican in the Senate who will take the bill on.

(New York)