A bill aimed at tightening the name-change process for sex offenders has passed the Arizona House. HB 2223, sponsored by Representative Quang Nguyen, seeks to address concerns that current procedures allow individuals with certain criminal convictions to change their names without sufficient oversight, potentially hindering law enforcement and leaving victims uninformed.
“Sex offenders should not be able to change their name and slip through cracks that put Arizona families at risk. Victims deserve to know when the person who harmed them is trying to change identities through the courts. HB 2223 closes a loophole, locks in accountability, and ensures victims will not be left out of the process. If you are required to register, you will not use a name change to hide your past, dodge scrutiny, or erase your trail,” said Representative Quang Nguyen.
The legislation mandates that applicants disclose under penalty of perjury whether they have been convicted of offenses requiring sex offender registration in any state. It also requires registrants to confirm under penalty of perjury that all necessary parties have been served with notice of the application.
For those convicted in Arizona, the bill directs applicants to serve their name-change application on the prosecuting agency in the county where they were convicted. That office must then notify any victim who has requested postconviction notice and inform them of their right to contest the name change. Applicants with out-of-state convictions must serve both the prosecuting agency from their conviction and the county attorney where they file for a name change.
If a court approves a new name for someone on the sex offender registry, it must order that person to register under both their new and previous names and send a copy of its order to local law enforcement.
Carbone, a Republican elected in 2023 to represent Arizona’s 25th House District, replaced Michelle Udall as state representative (https://www.azleg.gov/house-member/?legislature=56&session=127&legislator=2170).
