SB 297 will prohibit registrants an offense involving a minor from being within 500 feet of schools or school events

Is the Senate Judiciary is trying to place more needless bills in legislature? There is already a prohibition against LOITERING within 500 feet of a school or day care, but this bill takes it too far by making an outright prohibition for a registrant with an offense involving a minor from even being within 500 feet of these locations. That is excessive.

In case anyone doesn't understand the difference, loitering means being in a place without a legitimate purpose. For example, I could go to a store 400 feet away to buy lunch and go to a park 200 feet away to meet a friend for lunch, "legitimate" purposes for being within the 500 foot zone, and thus legal. Under SB 297, those same actions are completely illegal. This bill is bad news.

The Senate Judiciary Committee meets Wednesday, Feb. 12 @ 1pm, if anyone can attend. But it is not slated to be a public hearing.

See my page on the Senate Judiciary Committee for contact info on the individual committee members.

To amend Section 15-20A-17, Code of Alabama 1975; to provide that it is a Class C felony for a sex offender convicted of a sex offense involving a minor to enter or remain within 500 feet of school property or certain other property used for caring for, educating, or entertaining minors, without a legitimate purpose for being on the property; to provide that it is a Class C felony for a sex offender convicted of a sex offense involving a minor to be present on or within 500 feet of public K-12 school property or to actively participate in any public K-12 school activity when or where students are present; and in connection therewith would have as its purpose or effect the requirement of a new or increased expenditure of local funds within the meaning of Amendment 621 of the Constitution of Alabama of 1901, now appearing as Section 111.05 of the Official Recompilation of the Constitution of Alabama of 1901, as amended.