LANSING — The Michigan Senate passed an update to the state Sex Offender Registration Act, weeks ahead of a deadline that could’ve removed thousands from the registry.
The policies impact Tier III offenders, the most severe classification that includes 73% of all registrants.
“Without this fix, 30,000 sex offenders would be taken off the registry on July 21,” said Sen. Aric Nesbitt, (R) District 20, Porter Twp.
Michigan lawmakers previously updated SORA — the state registration law — in 2011.
Those changes required nearly 17,000 offenders to remain on the registry for life, even though they were previously convicted with the requirement to register for only 25 years.
A federal court ruling last year said that this policy was unconstitutional since it unfairly changed the terms of those convictions after the fact.
The new bill, which passed with bipartisan support, clarifies that lifetime registration and more stringent reporting requirements will only apply to post-2011 offenders.
“This would ensure that victims of these horrific crimes are not further traumatized by a system that lets offenders disappear from accountability,” said Nesbitt, leader of the Senate Republicans.
The proposal also maintains the registration of pre-2011 repeat offenders, who were already required to register for life.
Sen. Winnie Brinks, (D) District 29, Grand Rapids, says that the proposal could put an end to some of SORA’s legal challenges.
“I’m not 100% sure that this will settle it, but I think we have done our part today to make sure that we are in compliance with this most recent court case,” she said. “So it was really important to do that in terms of making sure that people are safe in our communities.”
About 14,000 people who committed their offenses after 2011 will have their lifetime registration status unchanged.
The American Civil Liberties Union, who filed the original lawsuit against the state, says they remain opposed to the proposal as written.
In a statement, the ACLU of Michigan says that residents “deserve a system that works by prioritizing public safety and prevention, not a failed, counter-productive approach that makes all of us less safe because it sabotages the ability of people with past convictions to find housing, employment, and family support, which are key to successful reentry.”
Legislators say they’re optimistic the proposal could be signed into law before July 21.
“It’s a step forward to help survivors heal and live their lives once again, and I would hope that we can get to this to the governor’s desk over the coming weeks,” Nesbitt said.