California has some of the harshest punishments for people who commit sex crimes. In most cases, you will be required to register as a sex offender for the rest of your life if you are a convicted of a sex crime. However, California lawmakers had been working to change this lifetime consequence.

A bill that would’ve reformed California’s sex offender registration system had gained momentum, but it recently was halted.

Proposed Tier Sex Offender Registration Bill

Senate Bill 421 would have introduced a three-tiered registration system in California. Under the proposed bill:

• Misdemeanor and non-violent sex offenders would be Tier 1 registrants. Tier 1 only requires registration for 10 years.
• Serious and violent sex offenders would be Tier 2 registrants, which would require offenders to be registered for 20 years.
• Violent sex predators and habitual sex offenders would be Tier 3 offenders, which carries lifetime registration.

The objective was to remove low-level and non-violent offenders from the registry, lessening the burden on law enforcement to keep track of a registry that lists more than 100,000 people. Additionally, it would allow certain sex offenders who do not pose a threat to the community a second chance and save tax payer money.

Tiered Registry Bill Fails in Assembly

Earlier this year, the Senate Appropriations Committee released SB 421 to the Senate floor for debate. After hearing the bill in May, it was passed by a vote of 24-10 and moved to the Assembly.

However, the Assembly’s Appropriations Committee recently failed to release the bill from its suspense file by its deadline, meaning it is now dead and will not go on to the Assembly floor for a vote.

Officials cited the potential cost as a reason to reject the bill. State finance officials said technology costs to enact such widespread change would be “tens of millions of dollars” and millions more would be needed to process more than 40,000 requests of those eligible to be removed from the registry.

With the failure of SB 421, the bill cannot be considered again until 2019. However, an amended version of the tiered registration system has already passed the Appropriations Committee to be considered by the full Assembly.

SB 384, the amended version of the tiered registry bill, adds more offenders to Tier 3 for lifetime registration. The Assembly is soon expected to decide on the bill. If passed, it will move back to the Senate for a concurrence vote.

Do You Want to End Your Requirement to Register as a Sex Offender?

Sex offender registration is a burden that will follow you around for your entire life. That is why you should speak to an experienced sex crimes attorney about your options for ending your obligation to register as a sex offender.

At Wallin & Klarich, our attorneys have been successfully helping our clients obtain relief from registration and Megan’s Law for more than 35 years. Let us help you now.

With offices in Orange County, Riverside, San Bernardino, Victorville, West Covina, Torrance, Los Angeles and San Diego, you can find a dedicated Wallin & Klarich sex crime attorney available near you no matter where you are located.

Call us now at (877) 4-NO-JAIL or (877) 466-5245 for a free phone consultation. We will be there when you call.