Republican lawmakers in Wisconsin are advancing legislation that would require registered sex offenders without a permanent address to wear GPS ankle monitors, a move they say closes a loophole in the state’s sex offender registry but that critics argue unfairly targets the homeless.
The bill would mandate GPS monitoring for any registered sex offender who cannot provide a fixed residence. Supporters say the current system leaves law enforcement and the public with limited insight into where some offenders are living.
State Sen. Cory Tomczyk, R–Mosinee, told the Senate Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety that the proposal would establish a consistent statewide standard. “This bill ensures that housing status does not create a blind spot in the registry system,” Tomczyk said. “GPS monitoring provides a practical way to maintain accountability and oversight when a fixed address is unavailable.”
Rep. David Maxey, R–New Berlin, stressed the measure is focused on public safety, not homelessness. “(The bill) is not meant to demonize a portion of the population just because they are homeless,” Maxey said. “This bill is meant to keep Wisconsin’s communities safe.”
Tomczyk cited an April study from the Cicero Institute claiming 16 percent of Wisconsin’s homeless population are registered sex offenders. If accurate, Tomczyk argued, that leaves offenders “out and about in communities with no accountability” to the state Department of Corrections. (RELATED: AI Critics Secretly Bankrolled Newsroom Coverage to Skew Public Perception)
Opponents say the proposal ignores the role of government policy in contributing to homelessness among registered offenders. Milwaukee defense attorney Jonathan LaVoy said local residency restrictions make it difficult for offenders to secure housing. “The government makes it very difficult for sexual offenders to have stable residences, putting many of them into a homeless population,” LaVoy said. “And now we’re saying that those same people, because they can’t find a home, are going to have to wear an ankle monitor.”
The proposal comes as Wisconsin’s broader sex offender monitoring system faces renewed legal scrutiny. Since 2007, repeat sex offenders have been required to wear GPS monitors for life, with an option to seek removal after 20 years. The policy was upheld by the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in 2016, but later expanded by a 2017 legal opinion from former Attorney General Brad Schimel.
That expansion triggered a federal lawsuit now back before the 7th Circuit. In 2023, the Wisconsin Supreme Court rejected Schimel’s interpretation in one case, prompting lawmakers to revise the statute. The changes were signed into law by Gov. Tony Evers, clarifying that multiple convictions from a single proceeding still trigger lifetime monitoring.
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