ATLANTA - Gov. Sonny Perdue has approved legislation that will require registered sex offenders to have their photos published in the counties where they live.
Mr. Perdue signed the bill Monday night.
The bill, which was sponsored by Rep. Sue Burmeister, R-Augusta, requires a notice to be printed when a sex offender is released from prison and moves into a community.
The announcement, which will include a current photo of the convicted person, is scheduled to run in the newspaper that serves as a county's legal organ. A new notice must be printed every time a registered sex offender changes addresses, and the convicted offender is responsible for paying $25 to cover the cost.
Currently, information on registered sex offenders is included on the Georgia Bureau of Investigation's Web site.
The new law's supporters said it is intended to provide the information to people who do not have access to the online registry.
The law will go into effect July 1, 2006.
William W. Burmeister, Mrs. Burmeister's son, has been charged with molesting a girl, who is now 16 years old, over a 10-year period.
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