May 18, 2009

Governor Riley Signs Laws Restricting Sex Offenders Near Campuses, Raising School Dropout Age

MONTGOMERY - Governor Bob Riley on Monday signed bills that prevents convicted sex offenders from living with 2,000 feet of a college or university and raises the school dropout age from 16 to 17.

Current law prevents sex offenders from living within 2,000 feet of an elementary, middle or high school. The new law signed Monday adds colleges and universities and also prohibits sex offenders from loitering within 500 feet of school bus stops.

“Alabama continues to take aggressive action to protect our young people from sexual predators,” said Governor Riley. “Sex offenders are some of the most dangerous criminals, not only because of the horrific nature of their crimes but also because they are some of the most likely to re-offend.”

The bill was sponsored by Representative Jamie Ison in the House and Senator Hinton Mitchem in the Senate.

The new law raising the school dropout age takes effect with the upcoming school year. It was sponsored by Senator Arthur Orr.

“Students who are considering whether to stay in school or drop out face a monumental decision that will impact the rest of their lives. I hope this extra year will help students gain a better understanding of the consequences of dropping out, and I believe this new law will also help our efforts to improve Alabama’s dropout rate.”