HLS 12RS-1442 ENGROSSED Page 1 of 7 CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored are additions. Regular Session, 2012 HOUSE BILL NO. 982 BY REPRESENTATIVE BARROW JUVENILES: Provides relative to the standards, licensing, and disclosure requirements of juvenile detention facilities AN ACT1 To enact R.S. 15:1110(F), 1110.1, and 1110.2, relative to juvenile detention facilities; to2 provide for annual licensing fees; to provide for fines, sanctions, and penalties; to3 provide for the Juvenile Detention Licensing Trust Fund and for its uses; to require4 and provide relative to the disclosure of recordation on the state central registry for5 the abuse or neglect of children for certain persons associated with the juvenile6 detention facility; to provide for a process of appeal; to provide for an effective date;7 and to provide for related matters.8 Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:9 Section 1. R.S. 15:1110(F), 1110.1, and 1110.2 are hereby enacted to read as10 follows:11 §1110. Detention standards; licensing; fees12 * * *13 F. There shall be an annual license fee for any license issued to a detention14 facility as follows:15 (1) For a detention facility authorized to care for six or fewer juveniles, the16 license fee shall be four hundred dollars.17 (2) For a detention facility authorized to care for at least seven but not more18 than fifteen juveniles, the license fee shall be five hundred dollars.19 HLS 12RS-1442 ENGROSSED HB NO. 982 Page 2 of 7 CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored are additions. (3) For a detention facility authorized to care for sixteen or more juveniles,1 the license fee shall be six hundred dollars.2 §1110.1. Operating without or in violation of license or regulations; penalties3 A. Whoever operates a juvenile detention facility without a valid license4 issued by the Department of Children and Family Services pursuant to R.S. 15:11105 shall be fined one thousand dollars for each day of operation without the valid6 license. In addition to seeking civil fines imposed pursuant to the provisions of this7 Section, if any juvenile detention facility operates without a valid license issued by8 the department, the department may file suit in the district court in the parish in9 which the facility is located for injunctive relief, including a temporary restraining10 order, to restrain the institution, society, agency, corporation, person or persons, or11 any other group operating the facility, from continuing the violation.12 B.(1) No person shall operate any juvenile detention facility in violation of13 any provision of R.S. 15:1110, or any other state or federal statute, regulation, or any14 department rule adopted pursuant to the Administrative Procedure Act which15 governs the ownership or operation of juvenile detention facilities.16 (2) In lieu of revocation of the facility's license, the department may issue17 a written warning that includes a corrective action plan to any person or entity18 violating these requirements when the violation creates a condition or occurrence19 relating to the operation and maintenance of a juvenile detention facility that does20 not pose an imminent threat to the health, safety, rights, or welfare of a child.21 Failure to implement a corrective action plan issued pursuant to the provisions of this22 Section may result in either the assessment of a civil fine or license revocation or23 may result in both actions being taken by the department. Such civil fines shall not24 exceed two hundred fifty dollars per day for each fine assessment; however, the25 aggregate fines assessed for violations determined in any consecutive twelve-month26 period shall not exceed two thousand dollars. In addition, the person or entity may27 be liable for any criminal action which may be prosecuted pursuant to other28 applicable laws.29 HLS 12RS-1442 ENGROSSED HB NO. 982 Page 3 of 7 CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored are additions. (3) The department shall adopt rules in accordance with the Administrative1 Procedure Act which provide specific factors for determining the type of sanction to2 be imposed including severity of risk, actual harm, failure to implement a written3 corrective action plan, and mitigating circumstances, and which explain the4 treatment of continuing and repeat deficiencies. The department shall develop and5 adopt rules and regulations required by this Paragraph with input and guidance from6 the Louisiana Juvenile Detention Association. The authority to impose sanctions7 pursuant to this Section shall commence on the effective date of the rules8 promulgated pursuant to this Section.9 (4) The aggregate fines assessed for violations of this Part determined in any10 consecutive twelve-month period shall not exceed five thousand dollars.11 C.(1) The department shall adopt rules and regulations in accordance with12 the Administrative Procedure Act to provide for notice to the juvenile detention13 facility of any violation, for a departmental reconsideration process for fines issued,14 and for an appeal process to contest fines issued, including judicial review.15 (2) An appeal of any department decision for a violation of any provision of16 this Part shall be suspensive. All appeals filed pursuant to the provisions of this17 Section shall be heard by the division of administrative law pursuant to Chapter 13-B18 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950. The appeal shall be heard in a summary19 proceeding which shall be given precedence over other pending matters. The20 division shall furnish the facility or agency a copy of the decision, together with21 notice of the procedure for requesting judicial review.22 D. With its application for appeal, the juvenile detention facility shall furnish23 bond in the minimum amount of one hundred ten percent of the amount of the fine24 imposed by the department. The bond furnished shall provide that it is furnished as25 security that the juvenile detention facility will prosecute its appeal, that any26 judgment against it, including court costs, will be paid or satisfied from the amount27 furnished, or that otherwise the surety is liable for the amount assessed against the28 facility.29 HLS 12RS-1442 ENGROSSED HB NO. 982 Page 4 of 7 CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored are additions. E. The department may institute all necessary civil court actions to collect1 fines imposed which are not timely appealed. No juvenile detention facility may2 claim imposed fines as reimbursable. Interest shall begin to accrue at the current3 judicial rate on the day following the date on which any fines become due and4 payable. All costs of any action to collect such fines, including travel expenses and5 reasonable attorney fees, shall be awarded to the department in addition to the fines.6 F.(1) Civil fines collected pursuant to the provisions of this Section shall be7 deposited immediately into the state treasury.8 (2) After compliance with the requirements of Article VII, Section 9(B) of9 the Constitution of Louisiana relative to the Bond Security and Redemption Fund,10 and prior to the monies being placed in the state general fund, an amount equal to the11 amount deposited as provided in Paragraph (1) of this Subsection shall be credited12 to a special fund hereby created in the state treasury to be known as the "Juvenile13 Detention Licensing Trust Fund". The monies in the fund shall be subject to annual14 appropriation and shall be available exclusively for use by the Department of15 Children and Family Services for:16 (a) The protection of health, welfare, rights, or property of youth receiving17 services from juvenile detention facilities licensed by the Department of Children18 and Family Services.19 (b) The enforcement of sanctions against juvenile detention facilities20 licensed by the Department of Children and Family Services.21 (c) Education, employment, and training of employees, staff, or other22 personnel of juvenile detention facilities licensed by the Department of Children and23 Family Services.24 (d) The fund shall not be used for general operations of the department.25 (3) The monies in the fund shall be invested by the treasurer in the same26 manner as the monies in the state general fund, and all interest earned from the27 investment of monies in the fund shall be deposited in and remain to the credit of the28 HLS 12RS-1442 ENGROSSED HB NO. 982 Page 5 of 7 CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored are additions. fund. All unexpended and unencumbered monies remaining in the fund at the end1 of the fiscal year shall remain in the fund.2 (4) The secretary of the Department of Children and Family Services may3 promulgate rules and regulations in accordance with the Administrative Procedure4 Act to provide for the administration of the fund.5 §1110.2. Disclosure requirements; penalties6 A. Any owner, operator, current or prospective employee, or volunteer of a7 juvenile detention facility licensed by the Department of Children and Family8 Services shall report annually and at any time upon the request of the department on9 the state central registry disclosure form promulgated by the department whether or10 not his name is currently recorded on the state central registry for a justified finding11 of abuse or neglect and that he is the named perpetrator.12 B. All such completed state central registry disclosure forms shall be13 maintained in accordance with the department licensing regulations. Any state14 central registry disclosure form that is maintained in a juvenile detention facility15 licensing file shall be confidential and subject to the confidentiality provision of R.S.16 46:56(F) pertaining to the investigations of abuse and neglect.17 C. Any owner, operator, current or prospective employee, or volunteer of a18 juvenile detention facility licensed by the department who knowingly falsifies the19 information on the state central registry disclosure form shall be fined not more than20 five hundred dollars, imprisoned for not more than six months, or both.21 D. Any owner, operator, current or prospective employee, or volunteer of a22 juvenile detention facility licensed by the department who discloses that he is23 currently recorded on the state central registry for a justified finding of abuse or24 neglect shall be entitled to a risk assessment evaluation provided by the department25 to determine that the individual does not pose a risk to children and shall have the26 right to file an appeal in accordance with R.S. 49:992 of the Administrative27 Procedure Act. Any such determination by the risk evaluation panel shall be kept28 on file at all times by the department.29 HLS 12RS-1442 ENGROSSED HB NO. 982 Page 6 of 7 CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored are additions. E. The department shall promulgate rules and regulations to implement the1 provisions of this Section. The rules and regulations shall include but not be limited2 to establishing criteria for risk evaluation requests, the composition of the risk3 evaluation panel, and establishing criteria for risk evaluation determinations.4 Section 2. This Act shall become effective on January 1, 2013.5 DIGEST The digest printed below was prepared by House Legislative Services. It constitutes no part of the legislative instrument. The keyword, one-liner, abstract, and digest do not constitute part of the law or proof or indicia of legislative intent. [R.S. 1:13(B) and 24:177(E)] Barrow HB No. 982 Abstract: Provides relative to the standards, licensing, and disclosure requirements of juvenile detention facilities. Present law provides relative to the licensing standards of juvenile detention facilities and requires all juvenile detention facilities to be licensed pursuant to the provisions of present law by Jan. 1, 2013. Proposed law provides for the following: (1)The assessment of an annual licensing fee for all detention facilities. (2)Penalties for the operation of a juvenile detention facility without a valid license. (3)Authorizes DCFS to seek injunctive relief in addition to the penalties imposed by proposed law. (4)Authorizes DCFS to issue a written warning that includes a corrective action plan to any facility which operations in violation of present law and provides that the failure to implement such corrective action plan may result in the assessment of a civil fine not to exceed $250 per day, license revocation, or both; the aggregate of such civil fines shall not exceed $2,000 for any consecutive 12-month period. (5)Directs the department to adopt rules to provide factors for determining the type of sanctions imposed, to provide notice to the facility of any violation, and to provide for a process to appeal any department decision relative to a facility violation. (6)Creates the "Juvenile Detention Licensing Fund" where all civil fines collected pursuant to the provisions of proposed law shall be deposited and shall be used for specific purposes outlined in present law. (7)Requires any owner, operator, current or prospective employee, or volunteer of a juvenile detention facility to report whether or not his name is currently recorded on the state central registry for a justified finding of abuse or neglect. Effective Jan. 1, 2013. (Adds R.S. 15:1110(F), 1110.1, and 1110.2) HLS 12RS-1442 ENGROSSED HB NO. 982 Page 7 of 7 CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored are additions. Summary of Amendments Adopted by House Committee Amendments Proposed by House Committee on Administration of Criminal Justice to the original bill. 1. Increased the amount of the fines imposed for the operation of a juvenile detention facility without a valid license. 2. Amended provision relative to the operation of juvenile facilities in violation of present law to authorize the department to issue a written warning which includes a corrective action plan in lieu of assessing civil fines. 3. Added provision which states that the failure to implement the corrective action plan issued pursuant to present law may result in the assessment of a civil fine not to exceed $250 per day, license revocation, or both; the aggregate of such civil fines shall not exceed $2,000 for any consecutive 12-month period. 4. Added the failure to implement a corrective action plan to the list of factors that the department considers in determining the type of sanctions to be imposed. 5. Made technical corrections to incorporate these changes.