CNMI SORNA laws now in compliance with DOJ guidelines

Acting governor Eloy S. Inos on Friday signed into law a House bill that seeks to re-enact the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Laws to comply with the U.S. Department of Justice Guidelines.

Inos immediately notified Senate President Paul A. Manglona (R-Tinian) and House Speaker Eliceo D. Cabrera (R-Saipan) about the signing of House Bill 17-111, which becomes Public Law 17-49.

Introduced by Rep. Joseph M. Palacios (R-Saipan) and Cabrera, the bill passed the House and the Senate on first and final reading on July 15, 2011 and July 28, 2011, respectively.

The Legislature in passing the bill underscored the importance for the CNMI’s current registration law to meet the minimum mandatory requirements of the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006 known as Sex Offender Registration Notification Act (SORNA).

In July 2006, U.S. President Bush signed into law SORNA, which established a comprehensive national system for registration of sex offenders.

SORNA requires each territory to implement the provisions of the Act.

The Legislature said repealing and re-enacting P.L. 11-104 (Sex Offender Registration and Notification Laws) is crucial to meeting SORNA minimum requirements and, more so, safeguarding the community.

The Legislature said SORNA will augment the ability of law enforcement agencies responsible with registration within the CNMI and other jurisdiction to track, monitor and communicate with each other regarding sex offenders who abscond and/or cross state lines.

Chief parole officer Joseph Guerrero in an interview with the Saipan Tribune on Friday that with the signing of House Bill 17-111 into law, the CNMI is now joining all the U.S. states and territories in compliance with the U.S. Department of Justice guidelines.

“ If we do not become a part of this group in passing this bill into law, we will be losing 10 percent of all federal money. So this was the intricate part of getting this bill passed and signed by the acting governor,” Guerrero said.

He said they have been working for this legislation for a number of years, and it became a reality on Friday.

Guerrero said the working group composed of the Probation Office, the Office of the Attorney General, the Department of Public Safety, and the Board of Parole have worked together to make the law a reality.

“This is technically for the community. To protect the community from sex offenders as well as to make the community aware of where these sex offenders are residing,” the chief parole officer said.