myvalleynews.com : Sex offender bill signed into law.
Making laws which ban ex offenders from having practically any job, then forcing them from their homes and families only serves to create an environment where low-educated and low-income ex offenders have nothing to lose, and will increase recidivism probabilities.
A lawmaker's bill to prohibit sex offenders from working in virtually any capacity where there is one-on-one contact with a minor was signed into law by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. Among the 700 bills on which the governor took action Sunday night, hours before a constitutional deadline, was AB 307 by Assemblyman Paul Cook, R-Beaumont.
The legislation, which takes effect immediately, makes it a misdemeanor for a convicted sex offender to work in a job in which he or she is alone "providing goods or services to minors."
According to Cook, the new law removes ambiguities authorities previously faced in determining whether a sex registrant was in violation of Penal Code section 290, which bars registrants from working or volunteering somewhere they would be supervising a child under 16 years old, or interacting with the child on more than an "incidental" basis..
"Legislators need to give law enforcement all the tools possible to protect minors from sexual predators," Cook said recently. "Permitting district attorneys to prosecute registered sex offenders who prey on children by enticing them with goods and services is crucial to public safety."
Leno contended the legislation would open the door to future, duplicative proposals in which convicted sex offenders are prohibited from working just about anywhere.
The bill won unanimous support in both the Assembly and Senate.
Read bill here: http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/pub/09-10/bill/asm/ab_0301-0350/ab_307_bill_20091011_chaptered.pdf
