Would You Know If Your Neighbor Is A Sex Offender? [AUDIO]

Convicted sex offenders are required to register under 'Megan's Law' so that law enforcement and communities know where they are living and how dangerous they are.

If they don't register, they could be living anywhere including next door to you and your children.

State Senator Fred Madden says lawmakers are still seeking to restrict where convicted sex offenders can live and to put controls on local school boards to make sure school bus stops are not located near the home of a known predator, "But, at the same time we don't have a mechanism to ensure that there's an audit being done (and) that the sex offenders are registered and living where they're supposed to be."

Under a bill sponsored by Madden, that would change. The legislation requires the State Attorney General, on or before March 30th of each year, to conduct a review of all persons who were released from incarceration or involuntary commitment in the previous calendar year and who are required to register as a sex offender. The review is to determine whether such persons actually did register and whether they were tiered by the county prosecutors. Tiers indicate just how dangerous a sex offender is considered to be.

"I think that is key to ensure that communities stay informed and prepared to ensure the safety of their children," explains Madden. "I believe that what this does for families is just reassure the families that we are on top of these violent offenders who have been released."

The measure has been approved by the State Senate Law and Public Safety Committee. If it passes both full houses of the legislature and is signed into law by Governor Chris Christie it would take effect immediately.