JACOB KONST/Arizona Daily Wildcat Sen. Jon Kyl, R-Ariz., speaks Saturday in front of Old Main with the media about campus sex crimes. Kyl is a founder of the Campus Sex Crime Prevention Act, a federal act that is now being adopted by Arizona.

University students, faculty and staff will now be able to find out if a sex offender studies or works on campus.

The Sex Crimes Prevention Act ÷ which was authored by Republican Sen. Jon Kyl of Arizona, approved at the federal level on Oct. 28, 2000, and enacted by the Arizona Legislature last week ÷ will give people access to the names of all registered sex offenders working or living on campus.

The act is an extension of the 1996 Megan's Law, which established a registry for all sex offenders and allowed law enforcement officials to track registered offenders' employment and resident status.

Megan's Law also created a system for a broad- based community notification plan, including a Web site and posted flyers that give names and addresses of registered sex offenders.

With the adoption of the Campus Sex Crimes Prevention Act, Megan's Law will now extend to the UA campus.

UAPD, as an informational arm of the Sheriff's Department, will notify university officials and employers of registered sex offenders who are trying to register or find employment on campus.

While on campus Saturday, Kyl said he thinks the newly adopted law will likely improve the lives of all on campus.

"I think it's going to make (campus) a much safer place," he said. "Students on a university campus should have just as much right to a safe environment as anyone living anywhere."

The major change for Arizona residents is that law enforcement officials will now need to report a registered sex offender who works or resides on campus.

The act also amends the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974. FERPA protects schools from disclosing information about students.

Kyl, whose daughter is enrolled at a university, said the recent adoption of the act was very important.

"That's how I first looked at this," he said. "One of the decisions that my wife and I made in respect to our daughter going to school is the safety of the environment."

Silvia Spector, whose daughter Rachel started her first year at the UA, said she applauds the efforts, but is still wondering about how the new legislation will help students.

"I think it's totally appropriate," she said. "I don't know how it will be used to protect someone in the university environment."

Spector said knowing about registered sex offenders on campus may be a deciding factor when choosing a school, both for students and parents.

"I think if you're a parent and you're helping your kid research a university and you know there's a Web site like that, I'd definitely check it," she said.

Along with the Web site, sponsored by the Arizona Department of Public Safety, flyers must be distributed over the entire campus for class three sex offenders, the most severe classification.

These flyers will have the name, picture, criminal background and addresses of offenders. A press release will also be sent to local media for publication.

Irene Anderson, director of the Oasis Center for Sexual Assault and Relationship Violence at the UA, said implementation of the act will bring a heightened level of safety to campus.

"I think it brings the campus up to the same standards as the rest of the community surrounding the university," she said.

While Kyl and other officials think this will add a new dimension to campus safety, some think the additional measures are unnecessary.

Rachel Spector, a psychology freshman, said she feels safe while on campus and does not plan to view the sex offender Web site.

"I've never been worried about sexual assault," she said. "Because I feel so safe here, I don't think I'd go to the Web site and concern myself with worrying about it."

Spector added that publishing the names of registered sex offenders could possibly cause harm to those trying to resurrect their lives after committing a crime.

"It could ruin somebody's life," she said. "Socially, it could be very embarrassing."

Kyl said, the way the law is laid out, registered sex offenders should not have to feel burdened by further inquiries by law enforcement.

Although the police will have their personal contact information, registered sex offenders will not be bothered unless they are found to be committing crimes, he said.

"Obviously, people are not law violators simply because they were convicted of something previously," he said.

There are 13 registered sex offenders in the university-area zip code of 85719. In the zip codes surrounding the university area, there are another 142.

The DPS Web site that lists the names of registered sex offenders is located at www.azsexoffender.com.