SACRAMENTO – Assemblymember Juan Alanis (R-Modesto) announced today that the Assembly Public Safety Committee unanimously approved Assembly Bill 1568 (AB 1568), authored by Alanis, on a 9-0 vote.
AB 1568 strengthens public safety and delivers real accountability by requiring courts to verify that Tier 1 and Tier 2 sex offenders have participated in or successfully completed a sex offender treatment program before their names can be removed from the registry.
“I want to thank the Chair and the entire Public Safety Committee for their strong, bipartisan support,” said Assemblymember Alanis. “AB 1568 expands the court’s authority to ensure that sex offenders are completing their mandated treatment. This is a common-sense step to ensure real rehabilitation and protect our communities.”
California’s sex offender registry uses a tiered system established by Senate Bill 384 in 2017. Courts and prosecutors have repeatedly faced difficulties verifying treatment requirements, especially in older cases with purged or unavailable records and in plea reductions from felonies to misdemeanors. Current standards have not been applied uniformly to informal probation or reduced-charge cases, resulting in inconsistent documentation during registry removal proceedings.
AB 1568 promotes offender accountability and evidence-based rehabilitation by integrating verification of treatment participation or completion directly into the court’s review process. The bill also strengthens judicial procedures by allowing judges to order petitioners to personally appear at hearings, directing courts to consider whether the offender held a position of trust or authority in relation to the victim, and authorizing updated State Authorized Risk Assessment Tools for Sex Offenders (SARATSO) assessments when more information is needed.
Alanis continued, “If California believes treatment is necessary for rehabilitation and that the investment is worth it, then we owe it to our communities to verify that the mandated treatment has actually been fulfilled.”
The measure now moves to the Assembly Appropriations Committee for further consideration.
Assemblymember Juan Alanis represents the 22nd Assembly District, which includes the communities of Modesto, Turlock, Ceres, Denair, Patterson, Gustine, Newman, Hilmar, Ballico, Snelling, Keyes, Grayson, Crows Landing, Diablo Grande, Stevinson, & Empire.
