SORA: WORK/VOLUNTEER PROHIBITION S.B. 1027:
SUMMARY OF INTRODUCED BILL
IN COMMITTEE
Senate Bill 1027 (as introduced 6-9-16)
Sponsor: Senator Curtis Hertel, Jr.
CONTENT
The bill would amend the Sex Offenders Registration Act to prohibit a person required to be registered under the Act from working or volunteering for certain organizations.
Under the Act, individuals who are convicted of specified offenses are required to register with and report to a local law enforcement agency or State Police post. The Act prohibits a person required to be registered from working or loitering within a student safety zone. A violation is a misdemeanor punishable by up to one year's imprisonment and/or a maximum fine of $1,000. A second or subsequent violation is a felony punishable by up to two years' imprisonment and/or a maximum fine of $2,000.
The bill also would prohibit a person required to be registered from working at, or volunteering for, an organization that works with individuals who are under 18 years of age or victims of sexual assault. A violation would be subject to the penalty described above.
The bill would take effect 90 days after its enactment.
MCL 28.734 Legislative Analyst: Patrick Affholter
FISCAL IMPACT
The bill could have a negative fiscal impact on the State and local government. The prohibition in the bill could lead to more people being charged and convicted of violating the Act. More misdemeanor and felony arrests and convictions could increase resource demands on local court systems, law enforcement, community supervision, and jails and correctional facilities. For any increase in prison intakes, in the short term, the marginal cost to State government would be approximately $3,764 per prisoner per year. In the long term, if the increased intake of prisoners increased the total prisoner population enough to require the Department of Corrections to open a housing unit or an entire facility, the marginal cost to State government would be approximately $34,550 per prisoner per year. Any associated increase in fine revenue would be dedicated to public libraries.
This analysis was prepared by nonpartisan Senate staff for use by the Senate in its deliberations and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent.