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HB 1140

Relating to prohibiting a registered sex offender from residing within a certain distance of a public primary or secondary school.

89th Legislature (2025) Introduced by Tom Oliverson

Texas bill prohibits registered sex offenders from residing near public K-12 schools, establishing geographical buffer zones around school locations.

Referred to Criminal Jurisprudence
#crimes--againstpersons--sexual(i0171) #education--primary&secondary--facilities(i0241) #minors--health&safety(i0533) #sexualoffenders(s0099)
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Bill Summary · HB 1140

Legislative bill overview

HB 1140 would prohibit registered sex offenders from residing within a specified distance of public primary or secondary schools in Texas. The bill establishes geographical residence restrictions as a condition of sex offender registration and monitoring. This is a residence restriction measure designed to create buffer zones between convicted sex offenders and school locations.

Why is this important

Residence restriction laws directly affect where thousands of registered sex offenders can legally live, impacting housing availability, family reunification, and reintegration efforts. Schools and parents view such measures as protective, while implementation raises questions about enforcement effectiveness, housing instability for offenders, and whether restrictions meaningfully reduce recidivism or simply displace risk.

Potential points of contention

  • Distance specification unclear: The bill language references "a certain distance" without specifying the actual buffer zone (commonly 500 feet to 2,500 feet in other states), making impact assessment difficult
  • Effectiveness debate: Research shows mixed results on whether residence restrictions reduce recidivism; some studies suggest they increase homelessness and employment instability without proportional safety gains
  • Implementation challenges: Enforcement requires mapping school locations against offender residences, creating administrative burden and potential constitutional questions about retroactive application to current registrants

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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