HLS 20RS-1007 REENGROSSED
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 and the office for citizens with developmental disabilities of the Louisiana
4 Department of Health, jointly, to conduct a study concerning means by which to
5 ensure the safety of persons with autism and other developmental disabilities,
6 including but not limited to the potential use of the National Crime Information
7 Center database for creating a voluntary registry of those persons for use by law
8 enforcement professionals, and to report findings of the study to certain legislative
9 committees.
10 WHEREAS, the Legislature of Louisiana has a sincere concern for the health and
11well-being of persons with disabilities and intends that these persons and their families be
12afforded all opportunities for the best possible quality of life in this state; and
13 WHEREAS, the Legislature of Louisiana supports our law enforcement agencies and
14the brave men and women who dedicate their professional lives as law enforcement officers
15to keeping our communities safe; and
16 WHEREAS, autism and other developmental disabilities are conditions that can
17cause problem behaviors and commonly affect a person's ability to communicate, their
18cognition, or both; and
19 WHEREAS, while performing their duties in protecting the public, law enforcement
20professionals may unexpectedly encounter or be asked to locate persons with autism or other
21developmental disabilities; and
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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; and
24 WHEREAS, a thorough study of this and other means for ensuring the safety of
25persons with autism and other developmental disabilities would be of great benefit to the
26legislature.
27 THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby
28urge and request the Department of Public Safety and Corrections, public safety services,
29and the office for citizens with developmental disabilities of the Louisiana Department of
30Health, jointly, to conduct a study concerning means by which to ensure the safety of
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1persons with autism and other developmental disabilities, including but not limited to the
2potential use of the National Crime Information Center database for creating a voluntary
3registry of those persons for use by law enforcement professionals.
4 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the study called for in this Resolution shall
5include recommendations for the potential membership and scope of work of a future task
6force on public safety issues affecting persons with autism and other developmental
7disabilities and their families.
8 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Public Safety and Corrections
9and the Louisiana Department of Health shall submit findings from the study called for in
10this Resolution in the form of a written report to the House Committee on Administration
11of Criminal Justice, the Senate Committee on Judiciary B, the House Committee on Health
12and Welfare, the Senate Committee on Health and Welfare, and the David R. Poynter
13Legislative Research Library on or before February 1, 2021.
14 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the
15secretary of the Department of Public Safety and Corrections and the secretary of the
16Louisiana 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 Reengrossed 2020 Regular Session Stagni
Requests the Dept. of Public Safety and Corrections, public safety services, and the office
for citizens with developmental disabilities of the La. Dept. of Health, jointly, to conduct a
study concerning means by which to ensure the safety of persons with autism and other
developmental disabilities, including but not limited to the potential use of the National
Crime Information Center database for creating a voluntary registry of those persons for use
by law enforcement professionals.
Requires the two departments 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. 1, 2021.
Summary of Amendments Adopted by House
The House Floor Amendments to the engrossed bill:
1. Specify that the Dept. of Public Safety and Corrections, public safety services,
and the office for citizens with developmental disabilities of the La. Dept. of
Health shall conduct the study called for in the Resolution jointly.
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2. Provide that the study called for in the Resolution shall be on means by which
to ensure the safety of persons with autism and other developmental disabilities,
including but not limited to the potential use of the National Crime Information
Center database to create a voluntary registry of those persons.
3. Stipulate that the study called for in the Resolution shall include
recommendations for the potential membership and scope of work of a future
task force on public safety issues affecting persons with autism and other
developmental disabilities and their families.
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