Staff Support of SORNA Implementation

The Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006 (AWA) (Pub. L. 109-248, 42 U.S.C. § 16901, et seq) authorizes the Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering, and Tracking (SMART) to administer sex offender management grants. These grants assist state, local and tribal jurisdictions in developing and/or enhancing sex offender registration and notification programs that support substantial implementation of Title I of the AWA, known as the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA). SORNA was enacted to protect the public from convicted sex offenders and offenders against children by establishing a comprehensive national system for the registration of those offenders.

The Seneca-Cayuga Tribe of Oklahoma continues to work towards SORNA implementation. Currently, the Seneca-Cayuga Tribe has multiple offices working on SORNA implementation but has not been able to support a full-time position to coordinate the implementation process. As a result, implementation progress has been slow and the tribe is behind on the timeline it had projected for implementation. Grant funds will support a full-time position dedicated solely to SORNA implementation efforts. This position will be responsible for writing policies and memorandums of understanding, and providing oversight for policy implementation. In addition, this position will implement and update the tribe's online sex offender registry and establish the sex offender registry office. Furthermore, it is anticipated that the SORNA implementation coordinator will work with the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation to enhance collaborative efforts in managing sex offenders.

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