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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
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State
Rep. Rick Taylor |
  
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House committee advances Taylor Megan's Law bills
HARRISBURG, June 24 – The state House Judiciary Committee today reported out two bills sponsored by Rep. Rick Taylor, D-Montgomery, measures that are part of the child sexual predator package of eight bills Taylor introduced last week.
The Taylor bills advanced by the committee include a measure (H.B. 2526) that would close a loophole in the Pennsylvania Crimes Code that prevents offenders convicted of solicitation or conspiracy involving a minor from being subject to Megan’s Law registration and restrictions. It would make conspiracy or solicitation for a sexually violent crime an offense requiring residential registration with state police for 10 years. Currently, sexual offenders fall under Megan's Law impositions only if they are convicted of a sex offence or an attempt to commit a sex offense.
"Under current law, a person can conspire with another to rape a young victim yet not be subject to sex offender registration. That is unacceptable," Taylor said. "My legislation would ensure that criminals convicted of solicitation or conspiracy to commit a sex offense against a child are registered as sex offenders and fall under all the requirements of Megan's Law for 10 years."
The second Taylor proposal (H.B. 2548) would allow state or county probation or parole officers to employ polygraph tests on sexual offenders during their probation or parole.
"Polygraph tests aren't usually admissible as evidence in Pennsylvania courts, but their results can be useful to probation and parole officials in monitoring convicted predators and pressure them to prevent back-sliding," Taylor said. "It would be another means to better protect our children."
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