SLS 23RS-257 ORIGINAL
2023 Regular Session
SENATE BILL NO. 73
BY SENATOR ROBERT MILLS
Prefiled pursuant to Article III, Section 2(A)(4)(b)(i) of the Constitution of Louisiana.
CHILDREN. Provides relative to truancy and assessment and service centers. (gov sig)
1 AN ACT
2 To amend and reenact the heading of Chapter 15 of Title VII of the Children's Code and
3 Arts. 791.4 and 791.5, relative to truancy and assessment and service centers; to
4 provide with respect to monitoring, evaluation, reporting requirements, and
5 operation; to provide for administrative costs; to provide that operations be
6 administered by the Louisiana Commission on Law Enforcement and the
7 Administration of Criminal Justice; to provide for a change in the name of the
8 program; to direct the Louisiana State Law Institute to make technical and
9 conforming changes to reflect the name change in existing statutes and codes; to
10 provide for an effective date; and to provide for related matters.
11 Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
12 Section 1. The heading of Chapter 15 of Title VII of the Children's Code and Arts.
13 791.4 and 791.5 are hereby amended and reenact to read as follows:
14 CHAPTER 15. TRUANCY AND ASSESSMENT AND SERVI CE CENTERS
15 * * *
16 Art. 791.4. Monitoring
17 A. In order to determine the effectiveness of the program, Louisiana State
Page 1 of 4
Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law;
words in boldface type and underscored are additions. SB NO. 73
SLS 23RS-257 ORIGINAL
1 University, office of social services research and development, the Louisiana
2 Commission on Law Enforcement and Administration of Criminal Justice shall
3 develop and implement a monitoring and evaluation program subject to state
4 funding.
5 B. The Louisiana State University, office of social services research and
6 development, Louisiana Commission on Law Enforcement and Administration
7 of Criminal Justice may also develop and implement a monitoring and evaluation
8 program for all parishes with truancy and assessment and service centers subject to
9 state funding.
10 Art. 791.5. Reporting; operation
11 A. On July first of each year beginning July 1, 2007, the office of social
12 services research and development, Louisiana State University, The Louisiana
13 Commission on Law Enforcement and Administration of Criminal Justice shall
14 report statistical data indicating the effectiveness of this program to the appropriate
15 standing committees of the legislature Joint Legislative Committee on the Budget
16 for use by the committees committee in consideration of continuation or expansion
17 of the program.
18 B. The provisions of this Chapter with respect to any parish which has a
19 truancy and assessment and service center shall be operational subject to
20 appropriation by the legislature to the Louisiana Commission on Law
21 Enforcement and Administration of Criminal Justice.
22 C. The Louisiana Commission on Law Enforcement and Administration
23 of Criminal Justice may use appropriated funds to provide for the reasonable
24 costs of administering the provisions of this Chapter and to provide funding for
25 the local truancy assessment service centers.
26 Section 2. The Louisiana State Law Institute is hereby authorized and directed to
27 make the following changes:
28 A. Change any reference in the Children's Code and related provisions in the
29 Revised Statutes from "Truancy and Assessment and Service Centers" to "truancy
Page 2 of 4
Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law;
words in boldface type and underscored are additions. SB NO. 73
SLS 23RS-257 ORIGINAL
1 Assessment Service Centers".
2 B. Change the reference in Children's Code Article 543(F)(10) from "Truancy
3 Assistance Service Centers" to "Truancy Assessment Service Centers".
4 C. Change the reference in R.S. 46:2758.2(B)(1) from "Truancy Assessment and
5 Service Centers" to "Truancy Assessment Service Centers".
6 Section 3. This Act shall become effective upon signature by the governor or, if not
7 signed by the governor, upon expiration of the time for bills to become law without signature
8 by the governor, as provided by Article III, Section 18 of the Constitution of Louisiana. If
9 vetoed by the governor and subsequently approved by the legislature, this Act shall become
10 effective on the day following such approval.
The original instrument and the following digest, which constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument, were prepared by Carla S. Roberts.
DIGEST
SB 73 Original 2023 Regular Session Robert Mills
Present law authorizes the creation of the truancy and assessment and service centers
program to prevent truancy.
Present law provides that truancy has long been demonstrated nationwide as a primary
indicator of a path to juvenile delinquency and that early intervention has been shown as the
key to correcting a propensity for destructive or criminal behavior.
Proposed law retains present law but changes the program title from "truancy and assessment
and service centers" to "truancy assessment service centers".
Present law specifies that La. State University (LSU), office of social services research and
development, is responsible for developing and implementing a monitoring and evaluation
program under present law.
Proposed law retains present law but changes the developer and implementor of the truancy
prevention program from the LSU office of social services research and development to the
La. Commission on Law Enforcement and the Administration of Criminal Justice.
Present law provides that the LSU office of social services research and development is to
report statistical data indicating the effectiveness of the truancy prevention program to the
appropriate standing committees of the legislature for use by the committees in consideration
of continuation or expansion of the program.
Proposed law retains present law but changes the agency that reports to the legislature from
the LSU office of social services research and development to the La. Commission on Law
Enforcement and Administration of Criminal Justice and proposed law designates the Joint
Legislative Committee on the Budget as the legislative committee for purposes of reporting
statistical data.
Proposed law provides that, subject to appropriation by the legislature, the La. Commission
on Law Enforcement and the Administration of Criminal Justice may use appropriated funds
Page 3 of 4
Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law;
words in boldface type and underscored are additions. SB NO. 73
SLS 23RS-257 ORIGINAL
to provide for the reasonable costs of administering the truancy prevention program and to
provide funding for the local programs.
Proposed law directs the La. State Law Institute to make technical changes to the program
title in the Children's Code and the Revised Statutes.
Effective upon signature of the governor of lapse of time for gubernatorial action.
(Amends Ch.C. Title VII, Ch. 15 (heading) and Arts. 791.4 and 791.5)
Page 4 of 4
Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law;
words in boldface type and underscored are additions.