5-9-2008 Ohio:COLUMBUS, Ohio – A newly proposed sex-offender law soon could include offenders living in nursing homes of other long-term care facilities.
There was a bill within the statehouse Thursday that would require neighbors to be notified of registered sex offenders living in nursing homes, NBC 4’s Mike Bowersock reported.
Hundreds of people turned out for the Ohio Health Care Association’s annual conference Thursday in Columbus.
On the agenda were speakers and presentations about the skilled nursing profession.
Not on the agenda was a discussion about House Bill 57 — a bill that if passed would change the way nursing facilities deal with their patients.
“It’s a difficult question we’re wrestling with,” the association's President and CEO Peter Van Runkle said.
The difficult question? How to deal with registered sex offenders living in nursing homes?
There currently is no state law that requires residents in the homes as well as neighbors nearby to be notified about who may be living in those types of facilities.
“It kind of freaks us out a little bit, but at the same time they’ve paid their debt to society already,” Jay Smalley said. Smalley talked with NBC 4 last year. At the time, he lived across the street from a nursing home that housed 19 sex offenders.
The bill will move from the House to the Senate and could be passed within the next month. ..more.. by Ashley Brown
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