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)]
HB 99 Reengrossed 2019 Regular Session Falconer
Abstract: Requires certain head coaches of youth athletes to submit to a criminal background check
and provides relative to the cost of obtaining the background check.
Present law provides that a religious, charitable, scientific, educational, athletic, or youth-serving
institution or organization may require any person, who applies to work with children as a volunteer
or as a paid employee, to do the following:
(1)Agree to release all investigative records for the purpose of verifying the accuracy of criminal
violation information.
(2)Supply fingerprints and submit to a criminal history records check.
(3)Attend a comprehensive youth protection training program.
Proposed law retains present law.
Proposed law provides that any head coach of youth athletes in an organized sports or recreational
athletic contest, not as part of a religious, charitable, scientific, educational, athletic, or youth-serving
institution, and who is not a parent of the child, legal guardian of the child, or is otherwise not a
family member of the child, is required to do the following:
(1)Agree to release all investigative records for the purpose of verifying the accuracy of criminal
violation information.
(2)Supply fingerprints and submit to a criminal history records check.
(3)Make available criminal history record information.
Proposed law provides that when a criminal history records check is requested, the La. Bureau of
Criminal Identification and Information shall provide the requestor with the state criminal history
record information of the individual subject to the inquiry. Proposed law further requires the bureau
to forward the fingerprints to the FBI for a national criminal history records check and provide the
requestor with the national criminal history record information of the individual subject to the
inquiry.
Proposed law requires the bureau to charge the individual subject to the background check for furnishing information contained in the criminal history and identification files, including any
additional costs. For paid employees of a youth-serving institution or organization, the bureau is
required to charge the institution or organization for the criminal history records check.
(Amends R.S. 15:587.3)
Summary of Amendments Adopted by House
The Committee Amendments Proposed by House Committee on Administration of Criminal
Justice to the original bill:
1. Remove the requirement that a parent or legal guardian request the criminal history
record information from the coach.
The House Floor Amendments to the engrossed bill:
1. Make technical corrections.
2. Restore present law relative to background checks for persons who apply to work with
children as a volunteer or paid employee of a religious, charitable, scientific, educational,
athletic, or youth-serving institution or organization.
3. Amend proposed law to specify that proposed law applies to any head coach of youth
athletes in an organized sports or recreational contest.
4. Provide that proposed law does not apply to a parent of the child, a legal guardian of the
child, or a family member of the child.
5. For paid employees of a youth-serving institution or organization, require the bureau to
charge the institution or organization for the costs of the criminal history records check.