Adam Walsh Act - Substantial Implementation Checklist

10-20-2008 National:

The SMART Office has released a new document "Substantial Implementation Checklist" (with no date or revision numbers) (See their website). What is so interesting about this is, it was released WAY after SORNA's Final Guidelines were published.

I guess I have to wonder why the delay? All I can figure is that states were interpreting the actual Final Guidelines in ways that did not suit the SMART office and resulted in "Out Of Compliance" rulings.

While "Checklists" are nice to have and generally make things simpler, they also may be further revising portions of the published guidelines to clear up ambiguities in the guidelines. If true states should be double checking when they have issues with the Checklist/Guidelines.

Yes advocates, these apply to state legislatures, however, advocates that are trying to resolve state issues may also want to review this "Implementation Checklist."

I guess these could be used to double check a state implementation as well.

Reading these, they are pretty clear, do it this way, but I have a problem with them in that, they are telling the state legislature what to do, and in my mind that conflicts with the U.S. Constitution's 10th. Amendment.

I'm open to any thoughts on these.

eAdvocate