Sex offenders will have to carry state-issued identification showing they are on the Sexual Offender Registry and will have to disclose names or aliases they use on the Internet under changes brought about by the General Assembly.

In more than a dozen changes to the 1994 law, lawmakers brought Tennessee’s stringent requirements into compliance with the federal Adam Walsh law and set an effective date for most of July 1.

One of the primary differences will require offenders to carry with them at all times a drivers license, identification card, or other state-issued identification that shows they are a registered sex offender. Failure to comply with this section is a Class E felony but the maximum penalty called for in the law is a fine of only $250.

Anyone ineligible to posses a drivers license or identification card issued by the Department of Safety can apply for alternative identification to comply. 

In a move against sexual predators who surf the Internet to solicit victims, lawmakers added a requirement for offenders to provide to their reporting agency a list of e-mail addresses and all names and aliases they use for instant messaging, chat, and on other popular sites. Offenders will be required to disclose this information at their next scheduled visit to their reporting agency and after that changes must be reported within three days.

The General Assembly also amended the law to add aggravated rape of a child to the list of violent offenses.

The annual fee that is levied to cover administrative costs of the reporting agency will go up to $150 on July 1. The added amount will go to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation to cover a portion of their costs as the agency providing oversight.

In another change, offenders on state probation or parole, who registered with their probation or parole officer, will have 48 hours to report to local law enforcement after they complete these programs

 Other changes adopted during the session include:

• A new section was stating that an offender must report a change in "any information" given to the registering agency which is contained on the form.

• Require offenders who fail to give either a primary or secondary residence (homeless) to report monthly rather than quarterly or annually.

• State offenders must give the reporting agency all aliases, including previous married names, for inclusion on the Registry.

• Require reporting agencies to photocopy driver’s licenses or state or federal government issued identification cards for their files.

• Require every offender on the Registry to provide a DNA sample.

• Adds the number of victims to information gathered by registering agencies.

• Require offenders who have been confined to a nursing home, assisted living facility or health care facility to report to their reporting agency within 48 hours of their release from such facility.

• Adds to the Public (internet) site the following information: (effective 1/1/2009)

1. The text of the law defining the criminal offense for which the offender was convicted.
2. A physical description of the offender.
3. The criminal history of the offender, including the date of arrests and convictions; the status of parole, probation or supervised release, registration status, and the existence of any outstanding arrest warrants.