Sex Offender Registry

The Act amends the Jacob Wetterling Crimes Against Children and Sexually Violent Offender Registration Act to require sex offenders already required to register in a State to provide notice, as required under State law, of each institution of higher education in that State at which the person is employed, carries on a vocation, or is a student. This requires that state procedures ensure that this registration information is promptly made available to law enforcement agencies with jurisdiction where the institutions of higher education are located and that it is entered into appropriate State records or data systems.

It also amends the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistic Act to require institutions of higher education to issue a statement, in addition to other disclosures required under that Act, advising the campus community where law enforcement agency information provided by a State concerning registered sex offenders may be obtained. Lastly the Act amends the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 to clarify that nothing in the Act may be construed to prohibit an educational institution from disclosing information provided to the institution concerning registered sex offenders; and requires the Secretary of Education to take appropriate steps to notify educational institutions that disclosure of this information is permitted.

The state Division of Criminal Justice Services is partnering with NY-Alert to allow New Yorkers to sign up for alerts when moderate and high risk sex offenders’ move into or out of a community. View the New York Public Registry of Sex Offenders.

The DCJS system allows New Yorkers to flag communities of interest to their family and then get alerts by a phone, email, text message or fax. They can sign up for notices involving three communities at once. The alerts will be carried out by the State Emergency Management Services System.