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A campus version of “Megan’s Law” took effect on October
28.
Enacted in 2000, the Campus Sex Crimes Prevention Act requires colleges
and universities to let students and employees know where they can get
information provided by the state on registered sex offenders.
Click here for information on sex offenders
In addition to requiring registered sex offenders to provide notice,
as mandated by state law, of any institution of higher education at
which they are enrolled or employed, the act requires states to make
the information available to a law enforcement agency where the institution
is located.
The act amended the Higher Education Act to add this
disclosure to the list for the annual security reports that institutions
are required to distribute to the campus community by October 1 of each
year. Regulations issued by the Department of Education on October 31
confirm that the requirement will affect the reports prepared for fall
2003.
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)
was also amended to make it clear that institutions may disclose information
received through state registration and community notification programs,
even if the sex offender is a student. The Family Policy Compliance
Office at the Department of Education recently issued guidance on the
FERPA issue. Changes to the FERPA regulations clarifying that prior
written consent is not required before releasing information on registered
sex offenders will be proposed shortly, according to ED.
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