Legislation Closing Loophole in Sex Offender Registry Heads to Full Senate

State Sen. Cliff Branan is awaiting a vote by the full Senate on his bill to close a loophole in Oklahoma’s sex offender registration law. Branan said news reports had uncovered the problem, prompting him to file Senate Bill 2231. The bill won unanimous approval in the Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee on Tuesday.

“The whole idea behind the sex offender registration law in Oklahoma was to keep track of where the offenders are living and ensure the public could access that information,” said Branan, R-Oklahoma City. “Unfortunately, some on the registry were giving a post office box number instead of a street address which defeats the whole purpose. SB 2231 closes that loophole by requiring them to use the actual address of where they’re currently living.”

According to the Department of Corrections, there are currently 11,637 people on Oklahoma’s sex offender registry. These include individuals who have been convicted of crimes ranging from indecent exposure to rape and child molestation.

“We have penalties on the books for sex offenders who fail to register or update their information when they move. The problem is using just a post office box was perfectly legal,” Branan said. “My legislation fixes that problem.”

If approved by both chambers and signed by the governor, the new law would take effect on November 1, 2010.