Senate committee advances measure requiring felony voyeurism offenders to register regardless of victim age

The Committee of the Whole on Jan. 28 reported Senate File 122 with a favorable recommendation after sponsor testimony and floor questions concerning offender registration and public safety.

Senator Cooper, sponsor, told senators the bill updates voyeurism statutes to reflect modern technology and adds registration for persons convicted of felony voyeurism. "We changed this law to to include a crime of felony voyeurism," Cooper said, describing testimony about a case in which a perpetrator recorded multiple victims and later violated parole.

Floor debate raised concerns about the scope and consequences of adding offenses to the sex‑offender registry. Senator Case asked whether registry duties—reporting work locations, residences and movements—are a suitable long‑term sanction for nonviolent offenses and whether petitioning off the registry is available. Senator Barlow and others noted that registration and notification are intended to protect the public, while Senator Rothfuss and others urged caution about diluting registry usefulness by expanding covered offenses without clear data on recidivism.

Senator Olson clarified the bill does not add misdemeanor voyeurism to the registry; the proposal applies to the felony voyeurism provision and removes the earlier requirement that the victim be a minor. The sponsor and supporters said the change will ensure offenders who take images or videos of victims without consent and whose behavior has led to repeat offending will be subject to existing registration requirements.

The Committee of the Whole reported the bill favorably on Jan. 28; the measure will continue through the Senate process for any subsequent floor votes.