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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
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State Rep.
Rick Taylor |
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Taylor Megan's Law language awaits governor's signature
HARRISBURG, Oct. 9 – State Rep. Rick Taylor, D-Montgomery, today thanked his House and Senate colleagues for their unanimous support of a bill containing his original provisions to tighten Megan's Law constraints.
Taylor's proposal (H.B. 2526) would clarify the Pennsylvania Crimes Code to ensure offenders convicted of solicitation or conspiracy involving a minor are subject to Megan’s Law registration and restrictions. The language of that bill was amended into other legislation (H.B. 301) that passed both chambers in unanimous votes.
The Senate vote Wednesday sent the measure to Gov. Ed Rendell's desk to be signed into law.
The amendment 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 offense or an attempt to commit a sex offense, which could allow some on-line predators to avoid the Megan's Law conditions.
Taylor's original measure was part of a package of legislation to improve monitoring of sexual predators, prohibit them from loitering near facilities such as schools and parks, and limit how close they could reside to these places.
"The centerpiece of my legislation was clarifying the Crimes Code to help authorities better crack down on sexual predators that target child victims, including through the Internet," Taylor said. "With that assured of becoming law, I'll be continuing the fight in the future to get our law enforcement agencies state-of-the-art abilities to monitor sexual victimizers and better protect our children from sexual assault."
In addition to thanking House and Senate members from both sides of the aisle, Taylor credited
residents of the 151st District who joined the fight.
"There were so many people who responded to my online and paper petitions and who wrote letters of support that I could show the numbers to my colleagues as proof of the public's overwhelming support for improving implementation of Megan's Law and cracking down still harder on sick adults who target children for sexual assault."
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