The bill amends Section 11-37.1-10 of the General Laws concerning penalties for sexual offenders. It establishes that any person required to register as a sex offender who knowingly resides within three hundred feet (300) of a school, as defined in 11-37.1-2, will be guilty of a felony. The distance is measured in a straight line, without regard for intervening structures or objects, from the nearest portion of the property on which the person resides to the nearest property line of the school. The potential penalty for this offense is imprisonment for up to five years or a fine of up to $5,000.

The bill also removes the previous provision that specifically applied to level-three sex offenders residing within one thousand feet (1,000) of a school. This act will take effect upon passage.

Statutes affected:
515: 11-37.1-10
515  SUB A: 11-37.1-10