The Rhode Island Senate has passed legislation introduced by Senate Majority Leader Michael J. McCaffrey (D-Dist. 29, Warwick) that would mandate the notification of parents of schoolchildren when sex offenders are living near school bus stops.

The legislation would require local law enforcement to share information with local school departments for the purposes of notifying parents of students whose bus stop is within 1,000 feet of the residence of a level 3 sex offender.

"This legislation will establish an information exchange between law enforcement and schools to protect our children from the most dangerous sexual predators," Majority Leader McCaffrey said in a statement. "If enacted, our law enforcement agencies, who already maintain a registry of sex offenders, would notify schools of any level three sex offenders living within one thousand feet of a bus stop. This increased communication between government and its citizens will make our communities safer."

In Rhode Island, sex offenders are classified based on their risk to re-offend. A level 3 offender is characterized as a high-risk offender. The measure now heads to the House of Representatives for consideration.