Louisiana 2012 2012 Regular Session

Louisiana House Bill HB982 Engrossed / Bill

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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	REENGROSSED
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(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 that governs15
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.27
(3) The department shall adopt rules in accordance with the Administrative28
Procedure Act that provide specific factors for determining the type of sanction to29 HLS 12RS-1442	REENGROSSED
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be imposed including severity of risk, actual harm, failure to implement a written1
corrective action plan, mitigating circumstances, the history of noncompliance and2
an explanation of the treatment of continuing noncompliance, an explanation of the3
treatment of continuing repeat deficiencies, evidence of good faith effort to comply,4
and any other relevant factors.  The department shall develop and adopt rules and5
regulations required by this Paragraph with input and guidance from the Louisiana6
Juvenile Detention Association. The authority to impose sanctions pursuant to this7
Section shall commence on the effective date of the rules promulgated pursuant to8
this Section.9
C.(1) The department shall adopt rules and regulations in accordance with10
the Administrative Procedure Act to provide for notice to the juvenile detention11
facility of any violation, for a departmental reconsideration process for sanctions12
issued, and for an appeal procedure, including judicial review.13
(2) An appeal of any department decision for a violation of any provision of14
this Part shall be suspensive.  All appeals filed pursuant to the provisions of this15
Section shall be heard by the division of administrative law pursuant to Chapter 13-B16
of Title 49 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950. The division shall furnish the17
facility or agency a copy of the decision, together with notice of the procedure for18
requesting judicial review.19
D. The department may institute all necessary civil court actions to collect20
fines imposed that are not timely appealed. No juvenile detention facility may claim21
imposed fines as reimbursable. Interest shall begin to accrue at the current judicial22
rate on the day following the date on which any fines become due and payable. All23
costs of any successful action to collect such fines, including travel expenses and24
reasonable attorney fees, shall be awarded to the department in addition to the fines.25
E.(1) Civil fines collected pursuant to the provisions of this Section shall be26
deposited immediately into the state treasury.27
(2) After compliance with the requirements of Article VII, Section 9(B) of28
the Constitution of Louisiana relative to the Bond Security and Redemption Fund,29 HLS 12RS-1442	REENGROSSED
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and prior to the monies being placed in the state general fund, an amount equal to the1
amount deposited as provided in Paragraph (1) of this Subsection shall be credited2
to a special fund hereby created in the state treasury to be known as the "Juvenile3
Detention Licensing Trust Fund". The monies in the fund shall be subject to annual4
appropriation and shall be available exclusively for use by the Department of5
Children and Family Services for the education and training of employees, staff, or6
other personnel of juvenile detention facilities.7
(3) The monies in the fund shall be invested by the treasurer in the same8
manner as the monies in the state general fund, and all interest earned from the9
investment of monies in the fund shall be deposited in and remain to the credit of the10
fund. All unexpended and unencumbered monies remaining in the fund at the end11
of the fiscal year shall remain in the fund.12
(4) The secretary of the Department of Children and Family Services may13
promulgate rules and regulations in accordance with the Administrative Procedure14
Act to provide for the administration of the fund.15
§1110.2.  Disclosure requirements; penalties16
A. Any owner, operator, current or prospective employee, or volunteer of a17
juvenile detention facility licensed by the Department of Children and Family18
Services shall report annually and at any time upon the request of the department, on19
the state central registry disclosure form promulgated by the department, whether or20
not his name is currently recorded on the state central registry for a justified finding21
of abuse or neglect and that he is the named perpetrator.22
B. All such completed state central registry disclosure forms shall be23
maintained in accordance with the department licensing regulations.  Any state24
central registry disclosure form that is maintained in a juvenile detention facility25
licensing file shall be confidential and subject to the confidentiality provision of R.S.26
46:56(F) pertaining to the investigations of abuse and neglect.27
C. Any owner, operator, current or prospective employee, or volunteer of a28
juvenile detention facility licensed by the department who knowingly falsifies the29 HLS 12RS-1442	REENGROSSED
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information on the state central registry disclosure form shall be fined not more than1
five hundred dollars, imprisoned for not more than six months, or both.2
D. Any owner, operator, current or prospective employee, or volunteer of a3
juvenile detention facility licensed by the department who discloses that he is4
currently recorded on the state central registry for a justified finding of abuse or5
neglect shall be entitled to a risk assessment evaluation provided by the department6
to determine that the individual does not pose a risk to children and shall have the7
right to file an appeal in accordance with R.S. 49:992 of the Administrative8
Procedure Act. Any such determination by the risk evaluation panel shall be kept9
on file at all times by the department.10
E. The department shall promulgate rules and regulations to implement the11
provisions of this Section. The rules and regulations shall include but not be limited12
to establishing criteria for risk evaluation requests, the composition of the risk13
evaluation panel, and establishing criteria for risk evaluation determinations.14
Section 2.  This Act shall become effective on January 1, 2013.15
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 HLS 12RS-1442	REENGROSSED
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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 an appeal procedure including judicial review.
(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
the education and training of employees, staff, or other personnel of juvenile
detention facilities.
(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)
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.
House Floor Amendments to the engrossed  bill.
1. Removed provision which authorized criminal prosecution in addition to the
penalties imposed pursuant to proposed law.
2. Amended the specific factors that shall be considered in the department's
determination of the type of sanction to impose.
3. Removed the provision which stated that the aggregate fines assessed pursuant
to proposed law shall not exceed $5,000.
4. Removed provisions which required any appeal of a department decision to be
heard in a summary proceeding and required that such proceedings be given
precedence over other pending matters. HLS 12RS-1442	REENGROSSED
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5. Removed the provision which required the juvenile detention facility to furnish
bond with its application for an appeal of a department decision.
6. Amended the list of exclusive uses for which the monies in the "Juvenile
Detention Licensing Trust Fund" are available.
7. Made technical corrections.