Dec. 13, 2017
HARRISBURG – House Judiciary Committee Majority Chairman Ron Marsico (R-Dauphin) was pleased that legislation to ensure sexual offenders remain registered under Megan’s Law unanimously passed the House today.
“This legislation was expedited because it is such a critical issue. With the implementation of this legislation, up to 17,000 sexual offenders would not be removed from the state sexual offender registry,” said Marsico. “As legislators, our priority is keeping the communities in our Commonwealth safe. The passage of this legislation will do just that.”
House Bill 1952 would address the Pennsylvania Supreme Court’s decision in Commonwealth v. Muniz. In that case, the court held that the Commonwealth’s sexual offender registration act, commonly known as Megan’s Law or the Adam Walsh Act, could not be applied to defendants who committed their crimes before the enactment of the Adam Walsh Act in 2012 based on both the U.S. Constitution and the Pennsylvania Constitution.
“Thanks to the teamwork and commitment of the governor’s office, the Pennsylvania State Police, the Sexual Offenders Assessment Board, Pennsylvania District Attorneys Association, the Pennsylvania Victim Advocate and the Pennsylvania Board of Probation and Parole, we were able to advance this legislation,” said Marsico. “We were all in agreement that those specified offenders should still have to register with the Pennsylvania State Police as sexual offenders.
“To allow potentially dangerous sex offenders to escape registration is a step backward in terms of the safety and security of the Commonwealth’s citizens,” Marsico continued. “It is my hope that the Senate will take this legislation up as soon as they resume legislative session.”
Representative Ronald Marsico
105th District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
RonMarsico.com
Media Contact: Autumn R. Southard, 717.652.3721
asouthar@pahousegop.com