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House tightens adult sex‑offender registry, increasing reporting and duration
Summary
House passed House Bill 492 to revise Utah’s adult sex‑offender registry toward Adam Walsh Act compliance: more frequent check‑ins (six months), a three‑business‑day notice for address changes, expanded reportable information, and longer minimum registry terms tied to sentences.
SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah House on Feb. 26 passed House Bill 492, updating the state’s adult sex‑offender registry to align more closely with federal Adam Walsh Act requirements.
Sponsor Representative Ray told the House the bill updates technical requirements and focuses on high‑priority compliance. Key changes include requiring registrants to update information every six months (an increase from once a year), a three‑business‑day requirement for notifying authorities of address changes, and adding secondary residences, vehicles (including aircraft or watercraft), telephone numbers, internet identifiers and professional licenses to the information available to law enforcement.
Representative Ray highlighted the policy goal in safety terms: “It really does bring Utah in compliance with, or close to compliance to Adam Walsh,” he said, urging support to improve public‑safety tracking.
During floor questions, Representative Fount asked whether the bill would force registrants who had ‘forum‑shopped’ to states with laxer rules to register under the state of conviction or the state of residence. Representative Ray said Utah’s approach is to apply the stricter requirements to persons entering the state so that those who move into Utah would be bound by Utah’s (generally stricter) standards.
The bill also provides for adding time to a registrant’s required registration period when they fail to comply — for example, a failure to register after a reported change of employment can add a year to the individual’s required registry period. Representative Ray noted some categories (juvenile registrants) were left for further study.
The House voted 70–0 to pass HB492 and referred the bill to the Senate for further consideration.
What’s next: HB492 moves to the Senate, where sponsors and committee chairs will continue the legislative process.
