Campus Sex Crimes Prevention Act

The federal Campus Sex Crimes Prevention Act of 2000 CSCPA, which became law October 28, 2000, but which delayed certain provisions until October 28, 2002, amends the Jacob Wetterling Crimes Against Children and Sexually Violent Offender Registration Act. CSCPA provides special requirements relating to registration and community notification for sex offenders who are enrolled in or work at institutions of higher education. In addition to the Wetterling Act, CSCPA also amended the Clery Act, an annual crime reporting law, and the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 to allow the disclosure of this information regarding students. As provided in the Wetterling Act, any person required to register under a state sex offender registration program must notify the state regarding each institution of higher education in the State of which the person is employed, carries on a vocation, or is a student and must also alert the state of any change in enrollment or employment status. Oregon law was amended in 2005 (HB 2299) to make these requirements effective January 1, 2006.

Under state law, sex offender information can be obtained through local law enforcement agencies and the Oregon State Police through its sex offender registration information line at (503) 378-3720 extension 4429. Requestors can access sex offender information by name, address, zip code or county. Persons seeking information about sex offenders residing within a specific geographic area may contact the Oregon State Police Sex Offender Registration Unit in Salem, OR by phone at (503) 378-3720 ext. 4429. The requestor will be asked to provide the zip code(s) of the area for which they are seeking names of registered offenders. A list of all registered sex offenders residing within this specific zip code area will be mailed to the requestor within two weeks. If the requestor desires to check on the status of an individual by name, they will need to call the Oregon State Police Sex Offender Registration Unit at (503) 378-3720 ext. 4415. A search of the name provided will be conducted and the caller will be provided with available information.

Another law passed in 2005 (HB 3486) mandates the posting of predatory sex offenders and sexually violent dangerous offenders to a public Internet site. The site is to be online by July 1, 2006, and will be available through the Oregon State Police Web site, http://egov.oregon.gov/osp/. Questions can be e-mailed to Sexoffender.Questions@state.or.us or made by calling the above noted phone number.

In addition, the Oregon Tech Campus Safety office will maintain a list of sex offenders who have been required to report their sexual offender status to the institution under federal and/or state law.