House approves making specified sex‑offender registry information public to speed volunteer screening

Representative Brian R. Allen introduced House Bill 362, which would make specified records in the state’s sex‑offender registry public to allow faster, searchable checks by organizations and individuals. Allen said the current petition process has overwhelmed corrections and can take months to process large requests, and he cited the Boy Scouts’ need to screen thousands of volunteers as an example of the bill’s intended use.

The bill’s sponsor and supporters said the measure is limited to information on persons convicted of offenses and does not include victim identifiers. “The statute requires that any victim information is redacted from the information that’s made available to the public,” Allen said, describing redaction requirements and stressing corrections would not include victim information in the public files.

Members pressed sponsors on safeguards and potential misuse. Representative Roy Anderson described scenarios in which neighbors used flyers to publicize past residents and asked how the bill would protect third parties; Allen replied that misuse would be illegal and difficult to fully prevent but that existing criminal statutes can be used against harassment and that such incidents have been rare under the current public‑access regime. On whether the registry could be posted on the Internet, the sponsor said the bill neither requires nor prohibits online publication and left the method of dissemination to the Department of Corrections.

Supporters said making the data public would allow organizations to create electronic, searchable files and return screening results far faster than the current petition process. The bill received broad endorsements from the Utah PTA, law‑enforcement groups and Attorney General Jan Graham, and passed the House by voice vote with a recorded tally of 65 yes and 0 no. It will be transmitted to the senate for further consideration.