ENROLLED
ACT No. 96
2020 Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. 29
BY REPRESENTATIVE BACALA
1 AN ACT
2 To amend and reenact R.S. 14:403.3(A) and R.S. 40:2521, relative to reports of missing
3 children; to provide relative to the duty of law enforcement upon receipt of reports
4 of missing children; to provide relative to the entities to which the law enforcement
5 agency is required and permitted to report; to provide relative to the entry of certain
6 information into the National Crime Information Center's database; to provide
7 relative to the time period within which the entry and reporting occur; and to provide
8 for related matters.
9 Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
10 Section 1. R.S. 14:403.3(A) is hereby amended and reenacted to read as follows:
11 §403.3. Reports of missing children; procedures; false reports or communications;
12 penalties
13 A.(1) Any state or local law enforcement agency receiving a report of a
14 missing child, or the recovery of a missing child, and having reasonable grounds to
15 believe such the report is accurate shall do all of the following within forty-eight
16 hours immediately after the date of receipt of receiving the report notify each of the
17 following of the fact and contents of such report:
18 (a) Enter the name of the child into the National Crime Information Center's
19 database.
20 (b) Notify each of the following of the facts and contents of the report:
21 (a)(i) The Department of Health and Human Resources Children and Family
22 Services to the extent that the reporting is required pursuant to Chapter Five of Title
23 VI of the Children's Code.
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1 (b)(ii) The Department of Public Safety and Corrections office of state
2 police, if it did not originally receive the report.
3 (c)(iii) The office of the sheriff for the parish in which such the report was
4 received, if it did not originally receive the report.
5 (iv) Any other local, state, or federal law enforcement agency that the law
6 enforcement agency receiving the report deems necessary and appropriate depending
7 upon the facts of each case.
8 (d) The office of the sheriff for all parishes adjacent to the parish in which
9 such report was received.
10 (e) The National Crime Information Computer System.
11 (2) The law enforcement agency may also notify any other appropriate local,
12 state, or federal agency of the fact and contents of such the report.
13 * * *
14 Section 2. R.S. 40:2521 is hereby amended and reenacted to read as follows:
15 §2521. Law enforcement agency receiving report of missing or recovered child;
16 duty
17 A.(1) The Any law enforcement agency which receives receiving an initial
18 report of a missing child or the recovery of a missing child and having reasonable
19 grounds to believe the report is accurate shall immediately report the missing or
20 recovered child to national law enforcement agencies and the state law enforcement
21 agencies of neighboring states. This notification shall include entry of the name of
22 the child into the National Crime Information Center registry do all of the following
23 immediately after receiving the report:
24 (a) Enter the name of the child into the National Crime Information Center's
25 database.
26 (b) Notify each of the following of the facts and contents of the report:
27 (i) The Department of Children and Family Services to the extent that the
28 reporting is required pursuant to Chapter Five of Title VI of the Children's Code.
29 (ii) The office of state police, if it did not originally receive the report.
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1 (iii) The office of the sheriff for the parish in which the report was received,
2 if it did not originally receive the report.
3 (iv) Any other local, state, or federal law enforcement agency that the law
4 enforcement agency receiving the report deems necessary and appropriate depending
5 upon the facts of each case.
6 (2) The law enforcement agency may also notify any other appropriate local,
7 state, or federal agency of the fact and contents of the report.
8 B. These reports shall be made The provisions of this Section shall apply for
9 each reported missing child without regard to whether the child is believed to be
10 missing due to stranger abduction, parental abduction, or any other cause.
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF LOUISIANA
APPROVED:
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CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions.