LANSING – Halloween is a time of year when children encounter all sorts of frightening creatures. But is there something out there scarier than vampires and ghosts?

Some legislators say yes.

Under a bill proposed by Rep. Fran Amos, R-Waterford, any parolee who was convicted of a sex crime against a victim under 18 would be banned from all Halloween activities.

The proposal states that a parolee is prohibited from “participating in any way in activities traditionally conducted during the evening of Halloween, including distributing candy or other items to children.”

It also would ban a sex-crime parolee from leaving outside lights on or giving the impression that his or her house is occupied between 6 and 8 p.m. on Oct. 31, or any other locally designated Halloween celebration.

Gabe Basso, legislative director for Amos, said that he is not aware of a specific incident in Michigan that prompted the proposal, but it is important because parolees are “not ready to enter society, and because they are on parole, they are still considered a threat.”

Co-sponsor Rick Jones, R-Grand Ledge, who has 33 years of law-enforcement experience, said sex offenders shouldn’t take part in activities involving children, such as trick-or-treating.

“In my opinion, someone who has been convicted of that should not be at a place where that is taking place,” Jones said. “Pedophiles are never cured. Science has never found a cure.”

Elizabeth Arnovits, executive director of the Michigan Council on Crime and Delinquency, said the bill “is probably a good move politically,” but it’s unnecessary because such parolees already are ordered to stay away from activities involving children – and even that it is a “reasonably unenforceable law.”

And while Basso conceded that parolees are required to stay away from children, he said the proposal isn’t redundant because there is “no law against children approaching them.”

Basso also said the law would be a “self-enforcing issue” because people know and could find out where sex offenders live and monitor them.

Jones agreed that the proposed law would be easily enforceable. He said police could simply pull up a computerized list of local parolees and monitor their homes.

In addition, he said, the bill would raise awareness of the issue and make parents more watchful of their children on Halloween.

The American Civil Liberties Union declined to comment on the issue.

Other sponsors include Republican Reps. John Stahl of Lapeer, Marty Knollenberg of Troy and Glenn Steil Jr. of Grand Rapids.

Whether the bill will pass is yet to be seen, but Jones said there’s always a great deal of public support to keep offenders away from children.

“It would strengthen the protection of our children,” he said. “We can never have too many protections.”

The bill is pending in the House Judiciary Committee.