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 29 Original 2020 Regular Session Bacala
Abstract: Provides relative to the reporting duties of law enforcement with respect to information
about missing children.
Present law (R.S. 14:403.3) requires any state or local law enforcement agency receiving a report of
a missing or recovered child to notify the following entities within 48 hours after receiving the
report:
(1)The Dept. of Health and Human Resources.
(2)The Dept. of Public Safety and Corrections.
(3)The office of the sheriff for the parish in which the report was received.
(4)The office of the sheriff for all parishes adjacent to the parish in which the report was
received.
(5)The National Crime Information Center’s (NCIC) database for Missing Persons.
Present law (R.S. 40:2521) also provides that a law enforcement agency receiving an initial report
of a missing child or the recovery of a missing child shall immediately report the missing or
recovered child to national law enforcement agencies and the state law enforcement agencies of
neighboring states. This notification shall include entry of the name of the child into the NCIC
registry.
Proposed law amends present law to provide that any state or local law enforcement agency receiving
a report of a missing child or the recovery of a missing child and having reasonable grounds to
believe the report is accurate shall do all of the following immediately, instead of within 48 hours,
after receiving the report:
(1)Enter the name of the child into the NCIC database.
(2)Notify each of the following of the facts and contents of the report:
(a)The Dept. of Children and Family Services, to the extent that the reporting is required
pursuant to present law provisions relative to mandatory reporters of child abuse and
neglect. (b)The office of state police, if it did not originally receive the report.
(c)The office of the sheriff for the parish in which the report was received, if it did not
originally receive the report.
(d)Any other local, state, or federal law enforcement agency that the law enforcement
agency receiving the report deems necessary and appropriate depending upon the
facts of each case.
Proposed law retains the present law provision which authorizes the law enforcement agency to also
notify any other appropriate local, state, or federal agency of the fact and contents of the report.
Proposed law further retains the present law requirement that these reports be made for each reported
missing child without regard to whether the child is believed to be missing due to stranger abduction,
parental abduction, or any other cause.
(Amends R.S. 14:403.3(A) and R.S. 40:2521)