• "Megan's Law" is a common and informal name for a series of laws across the United States that require law enforcement to make information about sex offenders easily accessible to citizens. Laws that fall under the broad name of "Megan's Law" require all convicted sex offenders to register in a database. Each state determines its set of laws, and exactly what information is accessible to the public.
  
  

The Murder of Megan Kanka

• The term "Megan's Law" stems from the 1994 rape and murder of 7-year-old Megan Kanka. Then-President Bill Clinton signed the Jacob Wetterling Act, nicknamed "Megan's Law" in 1996, requiring that all convicted sex offenders, whether their acts were against adults or children, register their information into a public database. The law also requires that all convicted sex offenders notify authorities if they move.
  
  

Public Awareness

• The primary goal of "Megan's Law" is to raise public awareness of sex offenders. Though each state has the right to their laws regarding disclosure of sex offender information, many states, such as Colorado, use the law to promote awareness in the community by notifying residents when a sex offender moves into their area.
  
  Public awareness was a primary reason for "Megan's Law" in that it allows citizens to be proactive in the safety of themselves and their children. If citizens are aware of the location of a known sex criminal, they can make sure they or their children stay away from that location.
  
  

Prevention of Sex Crimes

• "Megan's Law" helps defer sex offenders from recommitting sex crimes, as their information, such as name and address, are often easily accessible by the public. This is another reason that the Jacob Wetterling Act was signed in 1996, as the intent was to help ensure that few sex crimes were committed in the United States.
  
  

Aid to Law Enforcement

• Under state-specific "Megan's Law," the laws can act as an aid to law enforcement in future sex crime investigations. According to Meganslaw.org, the laws "establish legal grounds to hold known offenders." If a sex crime occurs that resembles the past crimes of a known sex offender, the sex offender can be held in police custody in some states as the investigation ensues.