Attorney General Fox Pushes for Tougher Sex Offender Regulations

Montana Attorney General Tim Fox is asking the legislature to pursue a variety of new regulations pertaining to sex offenders. On the top of the Attorney General's agenda is a law requiring sex offenders who move to Montana to submit a DNA sample to authorities.

According to John Barnes, the Communications Director for the Attorney General's Office, Montana is the only state in the union that does not require sex offenders to submit a DNA sample when they relocate.

John Barnes:

Below is the full list of the Attorney General's proposed legislative measures as distributed by the AG's office:

Protecting the public against sex offenders. Attorney General Fox is advancing two bills to aid law enforcement in protecting the public against sex offenders. One bill would require sex offenders who move into Montana to provide a DNA sample, and another bill would allow a district judge to designate a tier level to sex offenders who lack one.

Criminalizing new designer drugs. New drugs such as “bath salts” that mimic dangerous, illegal drugs are not designated as unlawful in Montana statutes currently. Attorney General Fox is advancing a bill classifying these drug compounds as illegal under Montana law.

Protecting the elderly and disabled. Attorney General Fox has brought forward legislation to impose stiffer consumer protection penalties on individuals and businesses that target the elderly or mentally disabled with scams.

Meeting Montana’s growing law enforcement needs. Attorney General Fox is making special requests to:

· Strengthen law enforcement infrastructure in the Bakken oil fields.

· Improve the state crime lab’s ability to analyze an increasing volume of DUI blood samples.

· Dedicate more resources toward investigating and tracking down sex offenders who fail to register properly.

Tougher penalties for driving under the influence of alcohol. Attorney General Fox is taking on repeat DUI offenders with a bill to modify current law used to determine if a person is subject to enhanced penalties for a second or subsequent DUI. Currently, a person is only charged for a first-time DUI as long as a prior DUI was more than five years earlier than the second. Attorney General Fox believes these modifications will catch repeat offenders whose behavior could be corrected by the 24/7 sobriety program.