Judiciary Committee advances bill restricting adult registered sex offenders from school property with multiple carve‑outs and new residency rule

The Committee on Judiciary adopted multiple amendments to House Bill 24‑04 and voted to pass the amended bill favorably for passage. The bill as amended makes it unlawful for certain adult registered sex offenders — specifically those whose underlying registrable offense involved a victim below a specified age threshold — to enter school property or attend school activities. Committee members substantially revised the measure during debate and added several carve‑outs and procedural elements.

Key points and amendments adopted in committee:

- Felony level adjustment: Rep. Osman successfully moved to lower the felony severity for a first violation from a level‑6 person felony to level‑8 (the bill retained higher levels for repeat offenses). Committee members said the change aligns penalties with comparable offenses and with some other states.

- Narrowed victim age and other scope changes: The chair and other members amended the victim‑age threshold language (the chair proposed, and the committee adopted, changing the statutory language from “less than 18” to “less than 16” as the covered victim age where the school‑property ban applies). Members discussed that 16 is the state’s age of consent and that the bill’s intent targeted crimes against younger children.

- Voting, religious services carve‑out: Rep. Vaughn offered an amendment to exempt a person entering school property solely to vote at a polling place or to attend a religious service when the school property is being used for that service; the committee adopted the carve‑outs.

- Enrolled students: Rep. Vaughn moved and the committee adopted a narrowly tailored exception allowing enrolled students who are on registries to attend the school for instruction and attendance (including certain IEP placements) while permitting the local school district to adopt and publish measures to protect students and staff. Members discussed but did not require districts to create procedures; the language used “may” so districts retain discretion.

- Parental‑access amendment: Rep. Martinez offered an amendment that permits a registered parent or guardian of an enrolled student to be present on school property or attend school activities after complying with locally adopted procedures to monitor the offender’s presence (the amendment requires local boards to publish any such procedures and to provide 14 days’ notice to parents when a plan is approved). The committee adopted the amendment; members debated the balance between child safety, school burdens and parental involvement.

- Federal law savings language: Rep. Vaughn had offered and later withdrew a narrowly worded exception intended to avoid conflict with federal law (for example attendance at IEP meetings authorized under federal law); the makers left the item for possible floor amendment and withdrew the committee amendment to allow further drafting.

- Petition relief and residency provision added: The committee placed the contents of House Bill 21‑73 (a previously considered measure authorizing petitions for relief from registration in a limited class of retroactive cases) into HB24‑04, and also adopted a related amendment offered by Rep. Barrett prohibiting certain lifetime registrants from residing within 1,000 feet of school property with grandfathering for existing residences (the committee discussed grandfathering and notification requirements for new schools and moves).

Votes and procedural notes: the amended HB24‑04 was advanced favorably for passage on a committee voice vote; several members asked that their positions be recorded in the minutes. The committee debated many technical and policy details over several amendments before final passage.

Why it matters: the bill creates a statewide restriction on certain adult registered sex offenders’ presence on school property and activities while creating multiple exceptions (voting, religious services, enrolled students, parental access subject to local board procedures) and adding a residency restriction for lifetime registrants that could affect housing and supervision.

Action taken: HB24‑04 was amended multiple times on the floor of the committee and passed favorably for passage as amended. The committee’s record shows robust debate; some members opposed the final bundle and requested their votes be recorded.