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Bill would require county attorneys to notify attorney general when offenders seek removal from registry
Summary
House Bill 268 would require county attorneys to notify the Montana attorney general when individuals petition to be removed from the sex/violent offender registry, enabling the AG’s office to assist in inter‑state checks. Committee advanced the bill in executive action.
Representative Curtis Schomer introduced House Bill 268, saying it would add a notification requirement so the attorney general’s office would be alerted when a petition to remove a registrant from the SORNA list is filed.
Why it matters: sponsor and informational witnesses said county attorneys sometimes need help checking records from other states when registrants have lived or moved across state lines. Caitlin Williams, SORNA attorney in the attorney general’s office, appeared as an informational witness and said she is available to answer questions and assist with cross‑jurisdictional review.
Testimony and scope: sponsor said the bill is intended to let the attorney general perform a deeper review when petitioners for removal have out‑of‑state histories; committee members asked about how long Montana has allowed relief and how common interstate cases are. Williams said Montana’s registry law has evolved since enactment in 1989 and that tiered relief exists (tiers vary by waiting periods), but she did not supply an exact historic date in the hearing and offered to follow up with details.
Executive action: the committee approved a do‑concur motion on HB 268 by voice vote; Senator Ricky moved the motion and the record shows Senators Olsen and Smith recorded as aye by proxy on the voice vote.
Ending: Sponsor described the bill as a modest procedural fix to improve vetting when registrants petition for relief and asked the committee to advance it.
