AB 944/SB 874: Counting Convictions for Sex Offender Registration

This bill would overrule judicial discretion in determining the risk to public safety that offenders present based on the individual facts of the case.

Under current law, for a person convicted of the most serious sex offenses, statutes already mandate lifetime registration. This bill impacts offenses where judges have the discretion to place someone on the sex offender registry for 15 years or for life by amending the statute at issue in the Supreme Court of Wisconsin’s decision State v. Rector.

The registry and GPS monitoring is designed to be a non-punitive public safety measure and is only effective if individuals on the registry actually present a risk to public safety (vs. including anyone who may have two convictions for the same course of conduct). Ultimately, if everyone is considered a risk requiring lifetime monitoring, it dilutes the efficacy of tracking individuals that a court has determined are a higher risk based on the individual facts of that case.