Legislative Update: HB30

HB30: Sex Offenders – Residence near child care facilities was first heard in the House Judiciary committee meeting on Wed, Feb 15th. There was testimony in favor of the bill by two daycare providers and Prevent Child Abuse Wyoming. The ACLU of Wyoming testified against the bill based on the fact that the registry contains a broad spectrum of registrants, including juveniles, minor offenses and Romeo & Juliet offenses. There is no available database that shows daycare centers in the state, as their locations frequently change. In addition, daycare facilities are not required to identify their locations, which would make it difficult for registrants to know whether or not they would be in compliance with the law. The law currently applies only to schools, which all have clear identification. Yesterday, HB30’s sponsor, Rep. Owen Petersen, asked that the bill be laid back indefinitely, in light of some of these concerns. After speaking with the Department of Family Services and others, Rep. Petersen felt that these problems needed to be addressed, and ultimately the bill was tabled by the Judiciary committee.