A task force created to help California develop a comprehensive approach to supervising sex offenders has taken aim at a controversial portion of a state law that restricts where paroled sex offenders can live. The failings of Jessica's Law have been been highlighted in this newspaper and noted by many experts, but any change would require a vote of the people or a two-thirds majority in the Legislature.

The panel of law enforcement officials, victim advocates, treatment providers and industry experts noted that these "blanket" restrictions on where sex offenders can live have resulted in more than 2,100 homeless sex offenders in the state and recommends the provision be repealed. The restrictions were part of a ballot measure approved by voters in 2006 that increased prison sentences for violent and habitual sex offenders, barred registered sex offenders from living within 2,000 feet of schools and parks and required them to wear GPS monitors for life.

The task force was created in the aftermath of the slaying of two San Diego teenagers by a registered sex offender. The case also prompted a new state law.

Most of the recommendations are likely to be controversial, costly or both. For example, the group also suggests that the state use only "active" GPS monitoring -- under which parole agents review all data collected by GPS monitors -- for all sex offenders. Currently, many are on what's known as "passive" monitoring, meaning not all data is reviewed by state officials. Also, the task force recommends implementing a 20:1 ratio of parolees to parole agents; some parole agents currently have as many as 40 offenders to track at any given time.

The recommendations will now be reviewed by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. But Robert Ambroselli, the agency's parole operations director, said Friday that the department will not take a position whether to change state law.

"The department enforces the law on the books," he said.