Megan's Law

noun

variants: or less commonly Megan's law

Definition of Megan's Law

: a law that requires law enforcement authorities to make available to the public information about convicted sex offenders living in the area All of Englewood is now aware that the sex offender lives there. This awareness is a result of a group of statutes collectively known as Megan's Law, which was hastily passed in 1994 after a 7-year-old New Jersey girl named Megan Kanka was kidnapped, raped and murdered, allegedly by a twice-convicted sex offender. —Peter Davis, New York Times Magazine, 28 July 1996 The State of Alaska enacted the Alaska Sex Offender Registration Act … on May 12, 1994 … . Like its counterparts in other States, the Act is termed a “Megan’s Law.” —Smith v. Doe, 538 U.S. 84, (2003)