Loretta Park

A legislator would prefer giving the death sentence to sex offenders, but instead is sponsoring a bill that would place more restrictions on them.

Rep. Paul Ray, R-Clinton, is sponsoring House Bill 492, known as the Sex Offender Notification and Registration bill. The bill was passed unanimously Wednesday by the House Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice Committee and now goes to the House floor for consideration.

The bill updates Utah's sex offender registry list, Ray said.

"This is Utah's version of Adam Walsh [Protection and Safety Act]," Ray said.

Congress passed the act two years ago mandating states to change their individual registries so they would all be uniform. If states fail to do so they could lose federal funding.

Ray said Utah stands to lose about $200,000 because it doesn't meet all the requirements, but to do so would have cost the state several million dollars.

Ray's bill requires all sex offenders to register twice a year. Currently they only have to register once a year. Sex offenders also have to register within three days, instead of five days, after they move, change employment or buy a new vehicle.

If a sex offender moves to Utah from another state, they must abide by the stricter of the two states' requirements, Ray said.

The registry also will include those convicted of aggravated kidnapping, unless it is a custodial issue, Ray said.

Registered sex offenders will have to register their secondary residence, aircraft, boats and other vehicles. They also must register their e-mail addresses and Internet access, which will only be used by the Department of Corrections, Ray said.

The federal act has additional requirements such as registering juvenile offenders and having sex offenders register four times a year.

"These were things we didn't think we could do now," said Jaycee Skinner with the Statewide Association of Prosecutors.

Rep. Jen Seelig, D-Salt Lake City, said she supports the bill, but believes it would be better "if people are still predators and a danger [to] keep them in jail. Register the color of their car? We need to keep them freaking in jail."

Ray said the bill will help the state keep track of where the sex offenders are.

"This covers what we need to do and ought to do," Ray said. "Keeping them in jail is not a solution."