HB2054 Summary

• Amends Arkansas Code § 5-14-128 to extend existing sex offender residency restrictions to include private parks, requiring Level 3 or Level 4 registered sex offenders to reside no closer than 2,000 feet from private parks.

• A private park restriction is not enforceable unless: the park posts signs at all entrances identifying it as a private park with owner contact information, the park owner petitions the local governing body, and the local governing body enacts an ordinance designating the park as restricted.

• Provides grandfathering protections for sex offenders who owned property before the effective date of the act, except those who commit additional sex offenses after that date.

• Defines "private park" as property owned or maintained by an entity (at least 20 owners or members) for recreational use, and defines "entity" to include property owners' associations and homeowners' associations.

• Establishes that violating this section is a Class D felony, and requires courts to order charged offenders not to return to their residence within the restricted distance until adjudication, unless good cause is shown.