BOSTON – The Massachusetts Senate on Thursday unanimously adopted an amendment to the Fiscal Year 2014 budget to bring important public safety reforms to the Commonwealth, strengthening the procedures for classifying convicted sex offenders and ensuring that the Sex Offender Registry Board has the information it needs to protect our children and communities, Senator Jennifer L. Flanagan (D-Leominster) announced.

“I am very proud that we were able to get this commonsense measure into the Senate budget,” stated Senator Flanagan.  “This was a very important step in addressing this critical public safety issue that had been identified several months ago.  I will continue to support this as we continue to move through the budget process.” 

“I promised at the start of this session that the Senate would reexamine the criteria for sex offender registration after we learned of the charges brought against a Level 1 sex offender for molesting more than a dozen children at his wife’s child care business,” Senate President Therese Murray (D-Plymouth) said. “We have a responsibility to protect the children and the families of the Commonwealth and I am proud that the Senate took action today to prevent a similar crime from happening in the future.”

“The sex offender registry system depends on accurate information about offenders, and the ability of people who need that information to get it in a timely, effective manner,” said Minority Leader Senator Bruce Tarr (R-Gloucester), amendment sponsor. “This amendment will give valuable tools to people ranging from concerned parents to licensing authorities to police departments to meet those objectives.”