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Bill 502

                    Current Status

Bill Number:                      502
Type of Legislation:              General Bill GB
Introducing Body:                 Senate
Introduced Date:                  19990217
Primary Sponsor:                  Hayes
All Sponsors:                     Hayes, Wilson, Grooms and Russell
Drafted Document Number:          l:\council\bills\psd\7224ac99.doc
Companion Bill Number:            3075
Residing Body:                    Senate
Current Committee:                Judiciary Committee 11 SJ
Subject:                          Sex offender registry, release of name of 
                                  offender to residents; Sheriffs, Law 
                                  Enforcement, Crimes and Offenses


                        History

Body    Date      Action Description                     Com     Leg Involved
______  ________  ______________________________________ _______ ____________
Senate  19990217  Introduced, read first time,           11 SJ
                  referred to Committee


                             Versions of This Bill

TO AMEND THE CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, BY ADDING SECTION 23-3-485 SO AS TO REQUIRE THE SHERIFF TO PROVIDE WRITTEN NOTICE TO ALL RESIDENCES WITHIN FOUR BLOCKS OF A REGISTERED SEX OFFENDER OF THE OFFENDER'S ADDRESS AND CERTAIN OTHER INFORMATION REGARDING THE OFFENDER; AND TO AMEND SECTION 23-3-490, AS AMENDED, RELATING TO A SHERIFF DISSEMINATING SEX OFFENDER REGISTRY INFORMATION WHEN IT IS BELIEVED SUCH DISSEMINATION WILL DETER CRIME, SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT THE FOUR-BLOCK RADIUS NOTIFICATION DOES NOT RESTRICT THE SHERIFF FROM BROADER DISSEMINATION OF INFORMATION WHEN NECESSARY.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:

SECTION 1. The 1976 Code is amended by adding:

"Section 23-3-485. In addition to the procedures in Section 23-3-490 for releasing information in the offender registry upon request, within ten days of an offender registering or providing notice of a change in address the sheriff shall provide written notification of the offender's residence to each residence within a four-block radius of the offender's residence. The notification must include the full name of the offender, any aliases, other identifying physical characteristics, date of birth, address of offender's residence, the offense for which the offender was required to register, the date, city and state of conviction, and a photocopy of a recent photograph."

SECTION 2. Section 23-3-490(C) of the 1976 Code, as last amended by Act 384 of 1998, is further amended to read:

"(C) Nothing in subsection (A) or in Section 23-3-485 prohibits a sheriff from disseminating information contained in that subsection (A) regarding a specific person who is required to register under this article if the sheriff or another law enforcement officer has reason to believe the release of this information will deter criminal activity."

SECTION 3. This act takes effect October 1, 1999.

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