Requires the division of probation and parole to publish a list of offenders who are on probation for second degree murder
HB 1865 repeals and replaces section 217.695 of Missouri law to expand registration and notification requirements for certain offenders who are released from custody and supervised by the division of probation and parole. Before release, covered offenders must complete a registration form listing their intended address, employer, parent’s address, and other required information, and must submit photographs, fingerprints, or other identifying information. The bill also requires that this information be provided to the chief law enforcement official in the county of intended residence.
The bill further requires offenders who change counties of residence to notify and register with the chief law enforcement official in the new county within seven days. Failure to do so may be grounds for parole revocation unless good cause is shown. The department, probation and parole division, and local law enforcement must also enter registration and residence-change information into the highway patrol criminal information system, and the Department of Public Safety must create and distribute the necessary forms and provide administrative support.
In addition to these general registration requirements, HB 1865 creates a public internet webpage listing offenders who have been found guilty of, or pled guilty to, second degree murder and who are released under probation and parole supervision. The webpage must be searchable and updated when an offender enters supervision, leaves supervision, or relocates to Missouri under the interstate compact for adult offender supervision.
The bill’s impact is to add a new public-notification and tracking mechanism for a narrow category of serious offenders while also reinforcing existing offender registration and reporting duties. It affects the Department of Corrections, the division of probation and parole, the Department of Public Safety, local law enforcement, and offenders under supervision, especially those convicted of second degree murder.
Overall sentiment appears supportive of stronger public safety and monitoring measures, as reflected by the bill’s straightforward purpose and lack of recorded opposition in the provided materials. The main point of contention likely centers on privacy, the scope of public disclosure, and the administrative burden of maintaining a searchable public list and updated offender records, particularly for individuals on probation rather than those fully released from supervision.
HB 1865 would amend Missouri’s offender supervision laws by replacing section 217.695 with expanded registration, identification, and notification requirements for offenders released from custody and supervised by probation and parole. It also requires the creation of a public, searchable website listing certain second-degree murder offenders under supervision. The bill would impose duties on the Department of Corrections, the division of probation and parole, the Department of Public Safety, the highway patrol criminal information system, and local chief law enforcement officials, while increasing reporting obligations and potential parole consequences for noncompliance.
The available context suggests the bill is framed as a public-safety measure and was introduced without recorded committee debate or votes in the provided materials. The bill caption indicates a focus on publishing a list of offenders on probation for second-degree murder, which implies support for transparency and law-enforcement monitoring. Because no transcripts or vote tallies are included, there is no direct evidence of formal opposition or amendment activity in the supplied record.
The most likely areas of contention are the public posting of offender names, the privacy implications for people under probation and parole supervision, and whether the bill goes beyond what is necessary for public safety. Another possible concern is administrative workload for state and local agencies that must collect, update, and publish the information, especially the requirement to maintain a searchable public webpage and keep records current when offenders move, enter supervision, or leave supervision.