Megan's Law is the common name for laws across the United States which require the registration of people convicted of sex crimes and notification of local authorities whenever sex offenders change residence or employment. The name stems from a law originally introduced in the state of New Jersey in reaction to the abduction and murder of 7 year old Megan Kanka by the convicted sex offender who lived next door to her home.[1]
A version of this law was adopted into the Jacob Wetterling Crimes Against Children and Sexually Violent Offender Registration Act at the federal level in 1994.