ENROLLED
ACT No. 464
2021 Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. 54
BY REPRESENTATIVES EDMONDS AND VILLIO
1 AN ACT
2 To enact R.S. 14:67.5, relative to misappropriation without violence; to create the crime of
3 adoption deception; to provide for elements of the offense; to provide for criminal
4 penalties; to provide for restitution; and to provide for related matters.
5 Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
6 Section 1. R.S. 14:67.5 is hereby enacted to read as follows:
7 ยง67.5. Adoption deception
8 A. Any person who is a birth mother, or who holds herself out to be a birth
9 mother, who is interested in making an adoption plan and who knowingly or
10 intentionally benefits from payment of adoption-related expenses in connection with
11 that adoption plan commits adoption deception if any of the following occur:
12 (1) The person knows or should have known that she is not pregnant at the
13 time the payments were requested or received.
14 (2) The person accepts living expenses assistance from a prospective
15 adoptive parent or adoption entity without disclosing that she is receiving living
16 expenses assistance from another prospective adoptive parent or adoption entity at
17 the same time in an effort to adopt the same child.
18 B. Any person who commits the crime of adoption deception shall be
19 punished as follows:
20 (1) If the amount received by the person is one thousand dollars or less, the
21 person shall either be fined up to five hundred dollars, imprisoned for not more than
22 sixty days, or both.
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CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions. HB NO. 54 ENROLLED
1 (2) If the amount received by the person exceeds one thousand dollars, the
2 person shall either be fined up to five thousand dollars, imprisoned with or without
3 hard labor for not more than five years, or both.
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.