North Country Sen. Joseph A. Griffo, R-Rome, hopes nine bills the Senate has passed, with his support, will close loopholes in the laws protecting children and communities from sexual predators.

Meanwhile, Assemblywoman Janet Duprey, R-Peru, says she supports one of the bills that would keep level 1 and 2 sex offenders from living within 1,000 feet of a school.

The measures address critical issues raised by a recent Court of Appeals ruling that prevents local governments from enacting laws restricting sex offenders, as well as the safety concerns highlighted in a recent Senate Coalition joint investigation and report.

The bills have been sent to the Assembly.

In “Keeping Our Children Safe From Sex Offenders,” the Senate Coalition uncovered numerous instances of convicted pedophiles living within 1,000 feet of grade schools with pre-kindergarten programs or stand-alone Universal Pre-K programs.

The legislation passed would: provide municipalities with the ability to enact local laws that strengthen sex offender restrictions; close loopholes that allow sex offenders to reside close to pre-K and kindergarten programs; prevent sex offenders from living close to elementary or high schools; decrease the potential time a sex offender could be released into the community before risk levels are determined; increase public disclosure about the residencies and workplaces of sex offenders; and prohibit registered sex offenders from living close to their victims or from entering child care facilities.

“The findings of the Senate Coalition’s investigatory report, together with the recent, unfortunate Court of Appeals decision, painted an alarming picture where looming tragedy would be inevitable,” said Senator Griffo. “Swift action, not further discussion, was the only recourse to pursue here.”

“There should be no delay in passing laws that would better protect our children,” said Duprey. “This is not a partisan issue or even a political issue – this is about doing our best to ensure our children’s safety. The Senate already passed the measure; it’s crucial that we pass it in the Assembly now. Keeping our children safe should be a top priority.”

“It was the intention of the Legislature to allow local jurisdictions the ability to enact ordinances that restrict where sex offenders may be present without preemption of state law,” Griffo added. “Greater local control, with the state and municipalities working together on solutions to protect families and children should have been the maintained standard. We're optimistic that the Assembly and Governor will review and approve these measures sooner rather than later.”

Senator Griffo said that the package of protective measures passed would:

• Address the Court of Appeals ruling by enabling municipalities to respond to the needs of their community and create local laws relating to sex offenders. Communities would be able to put additional restrictions in place so long as they are not less restrictive than state laws.

• Addresses concerns raised by the Coalition’s joint investigation by prohibiting certain convicted sex offenders from knowingly being within 1,000 feet of any place where pre-kindergarten or kindergarten instruction is provided. The measure also requires the state Department of Corrections and Community Supervision to receive regular updates of all elementary and secondary school locations to ensure residency restrictions for Level 2 and 3 sex offenders are being followed.

• Requires schools to distribute information about Level 2 and 3 sex offenders living in a school district to parents of the students. This would give parents an extra assurance that each household has the valuable information that could protect their children from dangerous predators.

• Reduces the amount of time it takes to make a risk level determination for convicted sex offenders so that they are not placed on probation, discharged, or otherwise released into the community without the necessary protections and registration requirements in place.

• Prevents convicted Level 1, 2, or 3 sex offenders from residing within 1,000 feet of a building used exclusively as an elementary or high school.

• Prohibits a Level 2 or 3 sex offender from residing within 1,500 feet of their victim’s residence. In Putnam County, a Level 3 sex offender was released from prison in 2011 and allowed to live next door to one of his victims, which caused significant emotional distress.

• Fixes a loophole that allows sex offenders to spend significant amounts of time at a residence other than the primary one registered with the state. This measure amends the definition of a residence and requires offenders to comply with registration requirements to include any location at which the offender spends more than two days a week.

• Increases the information available to the public when a convicted sex offender is in contact with the community. Level 2 and 3 sex offenders would be required to disclose their employment in addition to their residence on the state’s registry.

• Protects young children and their caretakers by prohibiting Level 3 sex offenders from entering child care facilities as a condition of their sentencing.