SB 178 - This act defines the term predatory sexual offender and provides that such offender determined to be predatory sexual offenders shall be sentenced to life without eligibility of probation or parole. Predatory sexual offenders shall not receive final discharge from parole or be furloughed by the Department of Corrections or any of its divisions. The act specifies a two-stage process by which a second trial stage shall be held after the conviction of an offender, to determine whether that offender is a predatory sexual offender. This act also creates a process for determining whether an offender is a prior or persistent sexual offender and creates provisions regarding the sentencing of prior and persistent sexual offenders, including the provisions that an offender determined to be a prior sexual offender shall be sentenced to the authorized term of imprisonment one class step higher than the offense for which the offender was found guilty, and that an offender determined to be a persistent sexual offender shall be sentenced to the authorized term of imprisonment two class steps higher for which the offender was found guilty. This act is similar to provisions of HCS/HB 415 (2017) and provisions of HCB 9 (2017). JOHN GRANA