Substitute House Bill No. 5747
          Substitute House Bill No. 5747

              PUBLIC ACT NO. 98-135


AN ACT CONCERNING SEXUAL OFFENDERS.


    Be  it  enacted  by  the  Senate  and House of
Representatives in General Assembly convened:
    Section  1.  (NEW)  (a)  The  Office  of Adult
Probation, in conjunction with state-wide  experts
in   law  enforcement,  the  treatment  of  sexual
offenders  and  sexual  assault  victim  services,
shall,  within available appropriations, develop a
community response education program to be offered
to neighborhoods and municipalities that have been
notified  pursuant  to  section  54-102r  of   the
general  statutes,  as  amended, that a person who
has registered under said section is  or  will  be
residing in that community.
    (b)  The  purpose  of such program shall be to
assist  neighborhoods,  parents  and  children  to
learn how to better protect themselves from sexual
abuse  and  sexual  assault.  The  program   shall
develop   educational   materials   and  community
information  resources  on  prevention  and   risk
reduction   concerning  sexual  abuse  and  sexual
assault  and  the  enforcement   of   requirements
concerning  the  registration  and  supervision of
sexual   offenders   and   the   notification   of
communities where such offenders reside.
    (c) The program may include the following:
    (1)  An  initial community meeting following a
community notification, sponsored by the Office of
Adult  Probation  and held in conjunction with the
chief of  police,  chief  elected  officials,  the
superintendent  of  schools  and  other  municipal
officials  of  the  community,  to   discuss   the
implementation   of   the  statutory  requirements
concerning the registration of a  sexual  offender
and  the  notification of the community where such
offender resides, to provide  information  on  the
crime   or   crimes   involved   and   to  provide
information on how the offender will be  monitored
by  the Office of Adult Probation and the specific
conditions  of   probation   applicable   to   the
offender;
    (2) Information on  how  and  where  concerned
residents may report  observed  violations  by  an
offender  of the  conditions  of  such  offender's
probation;
    (3) Resources to educate families and children
in the prevention  and  avoidance  of sexual abuse
and  sexual  assault   and   for  parents  seeking
supportive methods for  discussing relevant issues
with their children;
    (4) Resources on  when and how a community may
wish to establish  a  network of "Safe Houses" for
neighborhood children to  use  when they seek safe
shelter or the  creation  of  a neighborhood block
watch or crime watch;
    (5)  Resources  for   police  departments  and
boards of education  to  use  in  consulting  with
parents  on  appropriate   school-based  classroom
programs  stressing safety,  prevention  and  risk
reduction and to  use  in  developing  educational
programs for parents  to  discuss  relevant issues
with their children;
    (6) Compilation and  distribution of a list of
child protective agencies,  child guidance clinics
and rape crisis  centers for families seeking more
in-depth    counselling    after    a    community
notification has occurred.
    (d) The Office  of  Adult  Probation may apply
for and receive grants from the federal government
or any agency  thereof  or  from  any  foundation,
corporation,   association   or   individual   for
purposes  of  the  development  of  the  community
response education program under this section.
    Sec. 2. This  act  shall  take effect from its
passage.

Approved May 27, 1998