692A.118 Department duties — registry.

The department shall perform all of the following duties:

1. Develop an electronic system and standard forms for use in the registration of, verifying addresses of, and verifying understanding of registration requirements by sex offenders. Forms used to verify addresses of sex offenders shall contain a warning against forwarding a form to another address and of the requirement to return the form if the offender to whom the form is directed no longer resides at the address listed on the form or the mailing.

2. Maintain a central registry of information collected from sex offenders, which shall be known as the sex offender registry.

3. In consultation with the attorney general, adopt rules under chapter 17A which list specific offenses under present and former law which constitute sex offenses or sex offenses against a minor under this chapter.

4. Adopt rules under chapter 17A, as necessary, to ensure compliance with registration and verification requirements of this chapter, to provide guidelines for persons required to assist in obtaining registry information, and to provide a procedure for the dissemination of information contained in the registry. The procedure for the dissemination of information shall include but not be limited to practical guidelines for use by criminal or juvenile justice agencies in determining when public release of relevant information contained in the registry is appropriate and a requirement that if a member of the general public requests information regarding a specific individual in the manner provided in section 692A.121, the relevant information shall be released. The department, in developing the procedure, shall consult with associations which represent the interests of law enforcement officers. Rules adopted shall also include a procedure for removal of information from the registry upon the reversal or setting aside of a conviction of an offender.

5. Submit sex offender registry data to the federal bureau of investigation for entry of the data into the national sex offender registry.

6. Perform the requirements under this chapter and under federal law in cooperation with the office of sex offender sentencing, monitoring, apprehending, registering, and tracking of the office of justice programs of the United States department of justice.

7. Enter and maintain fingerprints and palm prints of sex offenders in an automated fingerprint identification system maintained by the department and made accessible to law enforcement agencies in this state, of the federal government, or in another jurisdiction. The department or any law enforcement agency may use such prints for criminal investigative purposes, to include comparison against finger and palm prints identified or recovered as evidence in a criminal investigation.

8. Notify a jurisdiction that provided information that a sex offender has or intends to maintain a residence, employment, or attendance as a student, in this state, of the failure of the sex offender to register as required under this chapter.

9. Submit a DNA sample to the combined DNA index system, if a sample has not been submitted.

10. Submit the social security number to the national crime information center, if the number has not been submitted.

11. When the department has a reasonable basis to believe that a sex offender has changed residence to an unknown location, has become a fugitive from justice, or has otherwise taken flight, make a reasonable effort to ascertain the whereabouts of the offender, and if such effort fails to identify the location of the offender, an appropriate notice shall be made on the sex offender registry internet site of this state and shall be transmitted to the national sex offender registry. The department shall notify other law enforcement agencies as deemed appropriate.

12. Notify appropriate law enforcement agencies including the United States marshal service to investigate and verify possible violations. The department shall ensure any warrants for arrest are entered into the Iowa online warrant and articles system and the national crime information center and pursue prosecution of stated violations through state or federal court.

2009 Acts, ch 119, §18; 2011 Acts, ch 25, §78; 2012 Acts, ch 1021, §111