“Sixteen years out, New York’s Sex Offender Registration Act (SORA) has been tremendously successful, with more than 21,000 registrants under the watchful eye of law enforcement. However, despite the law’s undeniable success, there remains room for improvement, particularly with the timeliness of information. As it stands, offenders who fail to annually report their whereabouts aren’t sufficiently investigated or punished for the lapse.

“That’s why I sponsored a measure that would require the Division of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) to immediately notify local law enforcement when an offender doesn’t update his or her address (A.424). Under the bill, which recently passed the Assembly, law enforcement would then follow up on the case, fining people who neglected to contact DCJS, and prosecuting those who refused or moved without proper notification.

“As a legislator, nothing’s more important to me than the safety of Rockland’s families. Put simply, this bill would improve on an already effective law and better safeguard our loved ones.”