34 U.S.C. § 20920 — Public access to sex offender information

Page 513 TITLE 34—CRIME CONTROL AND LAW ENFORCEMENT § 20922 classification of title I to the Code, see Short Title of 2006 Act note set out under section 10101 of this title and Tables. CODIFICATION Section was formerly classified to section 16917 of Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare, prior to edi- torial reclassification and renumbering as this section. § 20920. Public access to sex offender information through the Internet (a) In general Except as provided in this section, each juris- diction shall make available on the Internet, in a manner that is readily accessible to all juris- dictions and to the public, all information about each sex offender in the registry. The jurisdic- tion shall maintain the Internet site in a man- ner that will permit the public to obtain rel- evant information for each sex offender by a sin- gle query for any given zip code or geographic radius set by the user. The jurisdiction shall also include in the design of its Internet site all field search capabilities needed for full partici- pation in the Dru Sjodin National Sex Offender Public Website and shall participate in that website as provided by the Attorney General. (b) Mandatory exemptions A jurisdiction shall exempt from disclosure— (1) the identity of any victim of a sex of- fense; (2) the Social Security number of the sex of- fender; (3) any reference to arrests of the sex of- fender that did not result in conviction; and (4) any other information exempted from disclosure by the Attorney General. (c) Optional exemptions A jurisdiction may exempt from disclosure— (1) any information about a tier I sex of- fender convicted of an offense other than a specified offense against a minor; (2) the name of an employer of the sex of- fender; (3) the name of an educational institution where the sex offender is a student; and (4) any other information exempted from disclosure by the Attorney General. (d) Links The site shall include, to the extent prac- ticable, links to sex offender safety and edu- cation resources. (e) Correction of errors The site shall include instructions on how to seek correction of information that an indi- vidual contends is erroneous. (f) Warning The site shall include a warning that informa- tion on the site should not be used to unlawfully injure, harass, or commit a crime against any individual named in the registry or residing or working at any reported address. The warning shall note that any such action could result in civil or criminal penalties. (Pub. L. 109–248, title I, § 118, July 27, 2006, 120 Stat. 596.) Editorial Notes REFERENCES IN TEXT The Dru Sjodin National Sex Offender Public Website, referred to in subsec. (a), is located at https:/ /www.nsopw.gov. CODIFICATION Section was formerly classified to section 16918 of Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare, prior to edi- torial reclassification and renumbering as this section. § 20921. National Sex Offender Registry (a) Internet The Attorney General shall maintain a na- tional database at the Federal Bureau of Inves- tigation for each sex offender and any other per- son required to register in a jurisdiction’s sex offender registry. The database shall be known as the National Sex Offender Registry. (b) Electronic forwarding The Attorney General shall ensure (through the National Sex Offender Registry or other- wise) that updated information about a sex of- fender is immediately transmitted by electronic forwarding to all relevant jurisdictions. (Pub. L. 109–248, title I, § 119, July 27, 2006, 120 Stat. 596.) Editorial Notes CODIFICATION Section was formerly classified to section 16919 of Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare, prior to edi- torial reclassification and renumbering as this section. § 20922. Dru Sjodin National Sex Offender Public Website (a) Establishment There is established the Dru Sjodin National Sex Offender Public Website (hereinafter in this section referred to as the ‘‘Website’’), which the Attorney General shall maintain. (b) Information to be provided The Website shall include relevant informa- tion for each sex offender and other person list- ed on a jurisdiction’s Internet site. The Website shall allow the public to obtain relevant infor- mation for each sex offender by a single query for any given zip code or geographical radius set by the user in a form and with such limitations as may be established by the Attorney General and shall have such other field search capabili- ties as the Attorney General may provide. (Pub. L. 109–248, title I, § 120, July 27, 2006, 120 Stat. 597.) Editorial Notes REFERENCES IN TEXT The Dru Sjodin National Sex Offender Public Website, referred to in text, is located at https:// www.nsopw.gov. CODIFICATION Section was formerly classified to section 16920 of Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare, prior to edi- torial reclassification and renumbering as this section.