Senate Committee Advances Measure to Stop Sex Offenders From Evading Justice
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, January 28, 2026
PHOENIX, ARIZONA— The Senate Committee on Judiciary and Elections is advancing legislation to better protect Arizona victims by closing a loophole that allows dangerous sexual predators to evade accountability.
SB 1239, sponsored by former Senate Majority Leader Janae Shamp, passed the committee with full Republican support today. The bill ensures that sex offenders who intentionally fail to register cannot avoid prosecution by running out the clock. The legislation allows charges for failure to register to be brought at any time, treating it with the same seriousness as other major crimes that already carry no statute of limitations. Those include offenses such as homicide, certain sexual offenses, terrorism, and serious public corruption.
"Arizona has a proud history of standing with victims, and this bill strengthens that commitment," said Senator Shamp. "We're sending a clear message to sex offenders that they will not be able to evade accountability in our state. Victims of sexual assault deserve to know the system is on their side and that offenders cannot simply disappear to avoid the consequences of their actions. I'm grateful for my colleagues' support and look forward to advancing this bill through the Legislature."
The legislation was supported by the Fraternal Order of Police (Arizona State Lodge).
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For more information, contact:
Kim Quintero
Director of Communications | Arizona State Senate Republican Caucus