RÉSUMÉ DIGEST
Act 276 (SB 242) 2015 Regular Session Morrell
New law requires each criminal justice agency, including college and university campus
police departments, to report all of the following information for the preceding calendar year
no later than February 15th of each year to the Commission on Law Enforcement and the
Administration of Criminal Justice (commission):
(1)The number of sexually-oriented criminal offenses reported.
(2)The status of each sexually-oriented criminal offense reported.
(3)The number of sexual assault collection kits submitted for analysis.
(4)The number of reported sexual assault collection kits requiring analysis.
(5)The number of reported sexual assault collection kits received.
(6)The number of unreported sexual assault collection kits received.
(7)The number of reported sexual assault collection kits that were untested due to
judicial or investigative reasons.
Requires each criminal justice agency, including college and university campus police
departments, shall also provide written notification if it does not have:
(1)Any sexually-oriented criminal offenses reported.
(2)Any reported sexual assault collection kits in its possession.
(3)Any unreported sexual assault collection kits in its possession.
Requires each crime laboratory to report the number of sexual assault collection kits in their
backlog for the prior calendar year no later than February 15th to the commission.
Requires the commission to transmit the information reported to it as required in new law
to the chairman of the Senate Committee on Judiciary B and the chairman of the House
Committee on Judiciary by March 1st of each year. Further requires the report to include the
name and contact information of each criminal justice agency that failed to submit the report
required by new law.
Defines:
(1)"Criminal justice agency" as any government agency or subunit thereof, or private
agency that, through statutory authorization or a legal formal agreement with a
governmental unit or agency, has the power of investigation, arrest, detention,
prosecution, adjudication, treatment, supervision, rehabilitation or release of persons
suspected, charged, or convicted of a crime; or that collects, stores, processes,
transmits, or disseminates criminal history records or crime information.
(2)"Reported sexual assault collection kit" as a kit that contains a human biological
specimen or specimens collected during a forensic medical examination from the
victim of a sexually-oriented criminal offense who reported the crime to law
enforcement.
(3)"Sexual assault collection kit" as a kit that is designed to assist in the preservation of
a human biological specimen or specimens collected during a forensic medical
examination from the victim of a sexually-oriented criminal offense.
(4)"Sexually-oriented criminal offense" as sexual assault offenses and sexual abuse
offenses as defined in certain criminal statutes. (5)"Unreported sexual assault collection kit" as a kit that contains a human biological
specimen or specimens collected during a forensic medical examination from the
victim of a sexually-oriented criminal offense who declined to report the crime to law
enforcement.
Effective upon signature of the governor (June 29, 2015).
(Adds R.S. 15:623)