State Lawmakers Approve Changes To Sex Offender Registry

Follow KDKA-TV: Facebook | Twitter

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - Changes to Pennsylvania's sex offender registry could soon be signed into law.

The changes are meant to correct mistakes of the past, but the legislation is also raising some new concerns.

These changes would affect more than 10,000 people statewide.

Megan's Law required them to be listed on the sex offender registry, but these changes would mean thousands would be removed from the list.

This all started with a state Supreme Court ruling back in July, which found the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA) violated the state constitution.

SORNA went beyond the original Megan's Law by requiring more people to register. However, critics argued it had become a form of punishment, instead of a tool to educate the public.

The court ruling means thousands who were convicted before SORNA went into effect in 2012 are in line to be removed from the list.

State lawmakers have been working to fix this mess and on Wednesday, they unanimously approved a bill to correct the problem.

Gov. Tom Wolf is expected to sign it.

Stay With KDKA.com For More Details