KlaasKids Foundation For Children
Legislation






Introduction by Marc Klaas

Washington State’s 1990 Community Protection Act included America’s first law authorizing public notification when dangerous sex offenders are released into the community. However, it was the brutal 1994 rape and murder of seven-year-old Megan Kanka that prompted the public demand for broad based community notification. On May 17, 1996, President Clinton signed Megan's Law. Megan's Law requires the following two components:

Sex Offender Registration – The 1994 Jacob Wetterling Act requires the States to register individuals convicted of sex crimes against children. Sex offender registration laws are necessary because:

  • Sex offenders pose a high risk of re-offending after release from custody;
  • Protecting the public from sex offenders is a primary governmental interest;
  • The privacy interests of persons convicted of sex offenses are less important than the government’s interest in public safety;
  • Release of certain information about sex offenders to public agencies and the general public will assist in protecting the public safety.

Community Notification – Megan’s Law allows the States discretion to establish criteria for disclosure, but compels them to make private and personal information on registered sex offenders available to the public. Community notification:

  • Assists law enforcement in investigations;
  • Establishes legal grounds to hold known offenders;
  • Deters sex offenders from committing new offenses;
  • Offers citizens information they can use to protect children from victimization.

Our interactive Megan’s Law map provides Internet access to better serve America’s evolving, fast paced, transient society. Young parents considering day care providers or businesses and organizations whose employees or volunteers have unsupervised access to children require this critical information so that they can make informed choices based on the best information available.

In order to remain current and maintain relevance we ask the public to provide updated information that we may have overlooked, including new, broken or invalid web links so that the KlaasKids Foundation can continue to be the Internet’s premiere Megan’s Law destination.

On July 27, 2006 President Bush signed the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act. One important component requires the U.S. Justice Department to create a public accessible Internet based national sex offender database that allows users to specify a search radius across state lines. The result is the Dru Sjodin National Sex Offender Public Website.

Accessing Megan's Law - International Efforts - http://www.forsarah.com/html/mainpage.html

Updated 9/3/2011

Alabama
Alaska
Arizona
Arkansas
California
Colorado
Connecticut
Delaware
Florida
Georgia
Hawaii
Idaho
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
Mississippi
Missouri
Montana
Nebraska
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New Mexico
New York
North Carolina
North Dakota
Ohio
Oklahoma
Oregon
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
South Carolina
South Dakota
Tennessee
Texas
Utah
Vermont
Virginia
Washington
Washington, D.C.
West Virginia
Wisconsin
Wyoming

Map of Megan's Law by State



Alabama -- 13,293 as of 4/22/11
Alaska -- 2,779 as of 3/31/11
Arizona -- 14,500 as of 7/1/11
Arkansas -- 10,681 as of 6/1/11
California -- 123,821 as of 4/20/11
Colorado -- 14,363 as of 4/25/11
Connecticut -- 5,312 as of 4/20/11
Delaware -- 4,158 updated 3/10/10
Florida -- 8,980 predators and 47,524 sexual offenders as of 07/12/11
Georgia -- 18,301 updated 4/7/10
Hawaii -- 3,404 as of 05/02/2011
Idaho -- 3,476 as of 3/31/2011
Illinois -- 27,185 as of 4/01/11
Indiana -- 9,041 as of 9/10/11
Iowa -- 5,395 as of 7/1/11
Kansas -- 6,317 as of 8/01/11
Kentucky -- 8,595 as of 7/20/11
Louisiana -- 9,442 as of 3/9/10
Maine -- 3,070 updated 5/5/10
Maryland -- 6,435 as of 8/17/11
Massachusetts -- 11,180 as of 7/18/11
Michigan -- 39,986 as of 8/1/11
Minnesota -- 16,102 as of 4/20/11
Mississippi -- 6,666 as of 7/20/11
Missouri -- 12,156 as of 08/23/11
Montana -- 2,113 as of 7/11/2011
Nebraska -- 3,500 as of 4/21/2011
Nevada -- 6,376 active 8,813 inactive as of 4/1/11
New Hampshire -- 4,872 as of 7/11/11
New Jersey -- 13,953 as of 4/4/11
New Mexico -- 2,804 as of 7/11/11
New York -- 32,221 as of 4/19/11
North Carolina -- 12,994 as of 04/13/10
North Dakota -- 1529 as of 7/19/2011
Ohio -- 18,300 as of 7/11/2011
Oklahoma -- 6,400 as of 4/7/10
Oregon -- 17,650 as of 8/10/11
Pennsylvania -- 17,650 as of 6/1/11
Rhode Island -- 1,582 updated 4/01/10
South Carolina -- 12,887 as of 5/02/11
South Dakota -- 2,786 as of 4/20/11
Tennessee -- 14,803 as of 04/11/2011
Texas -- 67,756 as of 8/09/11
Utah -- 6,828 as 5/10.11
Vermont -- 2,440 updated 5/6/10
Virginia -- 18, 469 as of 9/22/11
Washington -- 20,772 as of 7/1/11
Washington, D.C. 930 as of 8/9/11
West Virginia -- 3,485 as of 7/11/2011
Wisconsin -- 21,863 as of 5/04/11
Wyoming -- 482 as of 8/10/11
Source for State Megan's Law Grade Number of Registrants - Parents for Megan's Law
Sex Offender Registration & Community Notification Internet Access List

New LinkState and Federal Offender Search Links


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