Makes it a felony for any person required to register as a sex offender to live within three hundred feet (300’) of a school as defined in § 11-37.1-2.
Summary
H5925 amends Rhode Island’s sexual offender registration and community notification law to create a new felony offense for registered sex offenders who knowingly reside within 300 feet of a school, as defined in existing law. The bill also preserves a separate, stricter 1,000-foot school residency restriction for level-three sex offenders. The measure applies only to people already subject to registration requirements and uses property-boundary measurements to determine whether a residence is too close to a school.
The bill keeps the existing penalties for knowingly failing to register, verify an address, or report a change of address, and it adds the school-proximity residency violation to the list of punishable offenses. Because the proposal is framed as an amendment to the penalties section of the registration statute, it would directly expand criminal liability and enforcement options for prosecutors and law enforcement while affecting registered offenders’ housing choices statewide. It would take effect immediately upon passage.
Impact
If enacted, the bill would modify § 11-37.1-10 of the Rhode Island General Laws by making proximity to schools a felony-level violation for registered sex offenders living within 300 feet of a school, while retaining the 1,000-foot rule for level-three offenders. It would increase the scope of criminal enforcement under the sex offender registration regime and could affect probation, parole, home confinement, and other supervised-release conditions tied to registration compliance.
Sentiment
The available record shows no committee transcript or vote history, so there is no documented debate or recorded opposition/support in the materials provided. Based on the bill text alone, the measure appears to reflect a public-safety-oriented approach to sex offender residency restrictions and community protection around schools.
Contention
The principal point of contention is likely the breadth of the new residency restriction and its felony penalty, especially because it applies to all registrants rather than only the highest-risk category. Potential concerns include housing availability, enforceability of the 300-foot boundary rule, and whether the new restriction duplicates or complicates existing supervision and residency limits. Supporters would likely emphasize school safety and stronger community notification protections, while critics may argue the measure is overly punitive or difficult to implement.