Session: 2021-2022
ACLU-PA Position: Opposes
HB 1130 (PN 195) would add three trafficking offenses to the Megan's Law registry, including non-sexual offenses. Pennsylvania’s Megan’s Law requires registration for convictions of over 50 different sex offenses as well as the attempt, conspiracy, or solicitation to commit one of those offenses.
The registry is uniquely invasive, and placement on the registry also comes with dire and enduring collateral consequences. Proponents of community notification and registration laws sincerely believe that placing restrictions on registrants and sharing information about where they live and work will lead to a decrease in sexual victimization. However, decades of research does not bear this out: Megan’s Law has showed no demonstrable effect in reducing sexual re-offenses and no effect on reducing the number of victims involved in sexual offenses.
HB 1130, and legislation like it, will not result in communities being better able to protect themselves from sexual violence. To the contrary, increasing the number of registrants about whom communities are notified, as well as the volume of information publicly available about them, offers no discernible public safety benefit and, may, in fact, lead to increased rates of reoffense.
Check the bill's status here.
