Iowa Sex Offender Registration\Notification Program

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 State of Iowa is working towards SORNA implementation. The Department of Public Safety plans to: (1) reduce the time it takes to get registration information from the registering agencies into the database and disseminated to the public and other criminal justice agencies; (2) give partners access to all registered documents and photos in a timely convenient manner; (3) locate violators in a timely manner; (4) provide educational information to the public concerning the Sex Offender Registry (SOR) and sex offenders; (5) conduct numerous training sessions for law enforcement and corrections partners on IOWA and SORNA requirements; and (6) maintain efficient and continuous technical systems.

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