Iowa governor Terry Branstad (R) will ask the state legislature to require notification when sex offenders move into long-term care facilities, he said Monday.
Branstad said there are around 55 sex offenders living in various types of care facilities in the state. The bill, if passed, would require that residents, staff and members of the community be notified when a sex offender is committed to a care facility. It would be enforced by the Department of Inspections and Appeals.
Sex offenders in nursing homes has long been a contentious issue, with requests for Congress to improve tracking and some states requiring resident background checks. A 2005 Government Accountability Office report estimated there were close to 700 sex offenders living in long-term care facilities nationwide.
