2015 Regular Session ENROLLED
SENATE CONCURRENT RESOL UTION NO. 14
BY SENATOR MORRISH
A CONCURRENT RESOL UTION
To continue and provide with respect to the Task Force on the Prevention of Sexual Abuse
of Children within the Department of Children and Family Services, created in the
2014 Regular Session pursuant to Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 69.
WHEREAS, according to the Rape Abuse and Incest National Network, forty-four
percent of sexual assault and rape victims are under the age of eighteen and fifteen percent
are under the age of twelve; and
WHEREAS, girls ages sixteen to nineteen are four times more likely than the general
population to be victims of rape, attempted rape, or sexual assault; and
WHEREAS, ninety-three percent of juvenile sexual assault victims know their
attacker and thirty-four percent of those attackers were family members; and
WHEREAS, one of these victims who was sexually abused by a neighbor and family
member was Erin Merryn of Illinois, who became instrumental in passing a law, now
referred to as "Erin's Law"; and
WHEREAS, Erin has promoted child sexual abuse awareness throughout the United
States, as well as establishing "Erin's Law" in other states; and
WHEREAS, establishing a task force on the prevention of sexual abuse of children
has been an essential first step to enacting Erin's Law in other states and for that reason the
2014 Regular Session approved Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 69, which is to be
continued and provided for herein; and
WHEREAS, in establishing this task force in 2014, the legislature signaled its
support of legislation similar to "Erin's Law" in Louisiana; and
WHEREAS, in the effort to encourage those involved in the prevention of sexual
abuse of children and to inspire a genuine effort to protect children in the state of Louisiana,
this task force is an important vehicle for focusing the attention of the legislature, state
government, and the public on the difficult issue of the sexual abuse of children; and
WHEREAS, the work of this task force should be continued in order to fulfill its
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original mandate to provide a road map guiding Louisiana toward eventual elimination of
the sexual abuse of children in our state; and
WHEREAS, the importance of this task force cannot be overstated and each entity
that is charged to nominate a member of this group is urged to consider the magnitude of the
job the task force is to undertake and to measure their commitment to this task force
accordingly.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby
continue until 2017 the Task Force on the Prevention of Sexual Abuse of Children within
the Department of Children and Family Services, which shall provide staff for this important
undertaking, incorporating the amendments contained herein.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the membership of the task force shall continue,
except as the following list varies from the membership list provided in Senate Concurrent
Resolution No. 69 of the 2014 Regular Session:
(1) One member of the Senate appointed by the president of the Senate.
(2) One member of the House of Representatives appointed by the speaker of the
House of Representatives.
(3) The secretary of the Department of Children and Family Services, or his
designee.
(4) The state Superintendent of Education, or his designee.
(5) The secretary of the Department of Health and Hospitals, or his designee.
(6) The Executive Director of the Children's Advocacy Centers of Louisiana
Association, or his designee.
(7) One representative of an organization representing law enforcement, appointed
by the superintendent of state police.
(8) One representative of a statewide professional teachers' organization, appointed
by the head of the Louisiana Association of Educators.
(9) One representative of a different statewide professional teachers' organization,
appointed by the head of the Louisiana Federation of Teachers.
(10) One representative of an organization involved in the prevention of child abuse
in the state, appointed by the secretary of the Department of Children and Family Services.
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(11) One representative of an organization representing school management in this
state, appointed by the head of the Louisiana Association of School Board Executives.
(12) Two members of the public appointed by the president of the Senate.
(13) Two members of the public appointed by the speaker of the House of
Representatives.
(14) The child welfare program director from the Department of Children and
Family Services, or his designee.
(15) The Executive Director of the National Association of Social Workers,
Louisiana Chapter, or his designee.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that members of the task force should be individuals
who are actively involved in the fields of the prevention of child abuse and neglect and child
welfare. The appointment of members should reflect the geographic and racial diversity of
the state.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the first meeting of the task force shall be called
by the secretary of the Department of Children and Family Services to be held on or before
September 1, 2015.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that at the first meeting of the task force, a presiding
officer shall be elected by a majority vote of the membership. Thereafter, the task force shall
meet at the call of the presiding officer.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force shall make recommendations for
reducing child abuse in Louisiana. In making those recommendations, the task force shall:
(1) Gather information concerning child sexual abuse throughout the state.
(2) Receive reports and testimony from individuals, state and local agencies,
community-based organizations, and other public and private organizations.
(3) Create goals for state policy that would prevent child sexual abuse.
(4) Submit a final report with its recommendations to the legislature by January 1,
2017.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the recommendations may include proposals for
specific statutory changes and methods to foster cooperation among state agencies and
between the state and local governments.
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BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force shall consult with employees of
the Department of Children and Family Services, the Department of Justice, the office of
state police within the Department of Public Safety and Corrections, the State Board of
Elementary and Secondary Education, the Department of Education, and any other state
agency or department as necessary to accomplish the task force's responsibilities.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the members of the task force shall serve
without compensation, except per diem or expense reimbursement to which they may be
individually entitled as members of the constituent organizations.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force shall be abolished upon
submission of the report to the legislature on January 1, 2017.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the
secretary of the Department of Children and Family Services and Erin Merryn.
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
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