S837

TRENTON – Legislation sponsored by Senator Fred Madden (D-Gloucester, Camden) to permit municipalities to restrict the ability of known sex offenders to live near places where children congregate was passed today by the full Senate.

“The Court stated that the only thing preventing towns from implementing these local laws was the lack of permissive, standardized language in state law. We as a Legislature needed to act to enshrine these zones in statute and that is exactly what this law does. It is common sense legislation that will allow families sound peace of mind,” said Madden.

TRENTON – Legislation Senator Fred Madden sponsored to permit municipalities to restrict the ability of known sex offenders to live near places where children congregate was today released by a Senate committee.

The bill (S-837) responds to a 2009 state Supreme Court decision which invalidated 118 local ordinances that sought to create such “pedophile-free zones” within communities. The Court cited the fact that Megan’s Law, which it held was the primary source of state law dealing with sexual offenders, is silent on the subject of restricting where registered sex offenders may live, and thereby preempted the ability of towns to enact local ordinance.