HLS 20RS-1007 ORIGINAL
2020 Regular Session
HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOL UTION NO. 53
BY REPRESENTATIVE STAGNI
EXCEPTIONAL PERSONS: Requests a study concerning a voluntary registry of persons
with autism and other developmental disabilities for use by law enforcement
professionals
1 A CONCURRENT RESOL UTION
2To urge and request the Department of Public Safety and Corrections, public safety services,
3 in collaboration with the office for citizens with developmental disabilities of the
4 Louisiana Department of Health, to conduct a study concerning the potential use of
5 the National Crime Information Center database for creating a voluntary registry of
6 persons with autism and other developmental disabilities for use by law enforcement
7 professionals and to report findings of the study to certain legislative committees.
8 WHEREAS, the Legislature of Louisiana has a sincere concern for the health and
9well-being of persons with disabilities and intends that these persons and their families be
10afforded all opportunities for the best possible quality of life in this state; and
11 WHEREAS, the Legislature of Louisiana supports our law enforcement agencies and
12the brave men and women who dedicate their professional lives as law enforcement officers
13to keeping our communities safe; and
14 WHEREAS, autism and other developmental disabilities are conditions that can
15cause problem behaviors and commonly affect a person's ability to communicate, their
16cognition, or both; and
17 WHEREAS, while performing their duties in protecting the public, law enforcement
18professionals may unexpectedly encounter or be asked to locate persons with autism or other
19developmental disabilities; and
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HCR NO. 53
1 WHEREAS, with respect to such exceptional persons, best practices in law
2enforcement include training on recognizing and understanding the behavior of those
3persons, as well as on effective contact approaches that minimize risks to them and to
4officers during law enforcement encounters; and
5 WHEREAS, Louisiana law, R.S. 40:2404.2(C), provides for training of law
6enforcement officers on interacting with persons who have developmental disabilities; and
7 WHEREAS, a system that facilitates law enforcement professionals easily
8ascertaining that a person has autism or a developmental disability would support greater
9overall public safety; and
10 WHEREAS, House Concurrent Resolution No. 84 of the 2019 Regular Session
11requested the Louisiana Department of Health to study the feasibility of issuing a special
12identification card to individuals with an autism spectrum disorder diagnosis; and
13 WHEREAS, the study that the Louisiana Department of Health produced in
14accordance with that Resolution indicated it is not feasible for the department to issue such
15identification cards because it has no processes currently in place within which that function
16could be included; and
17 WHEREAS, the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) of the Federal Bureau
18of Investigation is an electronic clearinghouse of data that nearly all criminal justice agencies
19nationwide can access twenty-four hours per day, three hundred sixty-five days per year; and
20 WHEREAS, adding a category in the NCIC database for identifying persons as
21having autism or other developmental disabilities could be an optimal solution to any
22challenges that law enforcement agencies may face in interacting with this vulnerable
23population.
24 THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby
25urge and request the Department of Public Safety and Corrections, public safety services,
26in collaboration with the office for citizens with developmental disabilities of the Louisiana
27Department of Health, to conduct a study concerning the potential use of the National Crime
28Information Center database for creating a voluntary registry of persons with autism and
29other developmental disabilities for use by law enforcement professionals.
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HCR NO. 53
1 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Public Safety and Corrections
2shall submit findings from the study called for in this Resolution in the form of a written
3report to the House Committee on Administration of Criminal Justice, the Senate Committee
4on Judiciary B, the House Committee on Health and Welfare, the Senate Committee on
5Health and Welfare, and the David R. Poynter Legislative Research Library on or before
6February 1, 2021.
7 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the
8secretary of the Department of Public Safety and Corrections and the secretary of the
9Louisiana Department of Health.
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)]
HCR 53 Original 2020 Regular Session Stagni
Requests the Dept. of Public Safety and Corrections, public safety services, in collaboration
with the office for citizens with developmental disabilities of the La. Dept. of Health, to
conduct a study concerning the potential use of the National Crime Information Center
database for creating a voluntary registry of persons with autism and other developmental
disabilities for use by law enforcement professionals.
Requires the Dept. of Public Safety and Corrections to submit findings from the study in a
report to the House Committee on Administration of Criminal Justice, the Senate Committee
on Judiciary B, and the legislative committees on health and welfare on or before Feb. 21,
2021.
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