As we continue our legislative efforts to help ensure children and youth residing in communities throughout our Commonwealth always remain safe, we ask that you join us in co-sponsoring legislation that would propose improvements to the Sexual Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA).
 
Recently, it has come to our attention that the offense of Sexual Assault by a Sports Official, Volunteer or Employee of a Nonprofit Association (18 Pa.C.S.   3124.3) is not listed as an offense requiring sexual offender registration under SORNA, despite the fact that this offense necessarily involves the sexual abuse of a minor.
 
Specifically, an individual who is convicted of this offense is not required to register as a sex offender and will not be evaluated by the Sexual Offender Assessment Board to determine whether they are a sexually violent predator. By way of comparison, Institutional Sexual Assault under 18 Pa.C.S.   3124.2(a.2) and (a.3) are substantially similar in nature to Sexual Assault by a Sports Official. Yet those subsections of Institutional Sexual Assault are classified as a Tier II offenses, while Sexual Assault by a Sports Official is not classified at all.
 
Our legislation will help clarify the current statute by adding Sexual Assault by a Sports Official as a Tier II offense under SORNA; and again, help ensure the safety of all children residing in communities throughout Pennsylvania.
 
We ask that you join us in co-sponsoring this legislation.

Statutes/Laws affected:
Printer's No. 1872: 42-9799.14(c)