Legislative Tracker — Week of Sep 21, 2025

📅 This Week at a Glance (Sep 14–20, 2025)

Maryland audit exposes registry oversight gaps in foster care homes, while states continue to test registry reforms.

✅ Now in force

TX HB 1465 — invasive visual recording now registrable (effective Sep 1).

🕒 Moving / Introduced

CA Rubio bill — closes loophole allowing some adults to avoid registry.
MI SB 424 — registry reforms still pending.

⚖️ Courts / Agencies

No major new federal or state decisions this week.

Gaps this week: Oversight failures flagged in Maryland foster/guardianship homes.

What’s ahead: Michigan SORA litigation updates, CA bill committee hearings.

⭐ Highlights

Three items frame this week. Details and action tools below.

Maryland — Audit of foster homes

Audit reveals deficiencies in guardianship approvals where registered sex offenders were present.

oversight

Look up your rep

The SOLAR Project requests prompt hearings into the audit findings; families and children deserve protections based on real risk, not blanket registry assumptions.

California — Registry Loophole Bill

Sen. Susan Rubio introduced a bill to close gaps allowing adults to avoid registry obligations.

legislation

Look up your rep

Please ensure that any registry expansion is evidence-based and not duplicative; SOLAR urges focus on oversight and resources, not just expanding registrable categories.

Texas — HB 1465 Now in Effect

HB 1465 expands the registry to include invasive visual recording crimes, effective Sep 1.

registry expansion

Look up your rep

🏛 States

Maryland audit — auditors criticized Social Services Administration for failing to flag offenders in foster settings.
California bill — pending committee assignment.
Texas HB 1465 — now in effect.
Michigan SB 424 — reforms pending in committee.

⚖️ Court Decisions

No new published decisions this week. Monitoring Michigan Supreme Court docket for Does III SORA litigation.

📰 Media

Maryland Matters: Audit finds sex offender in foster homes (Sep 17, 2025). Coverage highlights oversight failures.

Outreach idea: Pitch SOLAR’s position on collateral consequences and risks of over-broad registry categories, noting that current lists do not necessarily align with actual child safety outcomes.

👀 Watchlist

Michigan SB 424 — registry reforms pending.
California Rubio bill — awaiting committee action.
Wyoming HB 0280 — reclassification/verification frequency bill.
Federal — monitor DOJ SMART Office / USSC for guidance updates in fall.

🔎 SEO focus (internal)

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California closes loophole sex offender registry
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Michigan SB 424 registry reform bill
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