Juvenile sex offender registry is nearing a final passage

A bill that would put Utah's most dangerous juvenile sex offenders on Utah's registry for adult sex offenders needs just one more endorsement before it wins approval.

The Senate Judiciary Committee advanced HB56 on Monday to the full Senate for a vote. The House approved it 67-0 on Jan. 27.

The bill would single out juveniles convicted of serious sexual offenses who are still being held in state custody up to their 21st birthday, when they must be released regardless of whether they've been rehabilitated.

House Bill 56 would apply to only a handful of juveniles each year whose crimes would land an adult on the registry, Rep. Susan Lawrence, R-Salt Lake City, said.

Juvenile offenders would remain on the registry for the standard 10 years, unless they are convicted of a new sex offense as an adult. In that case, HB56 mandates lifetime registration.