SLS 23RS-257 ENGROSSED 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 chapter heading of Chapter 15 of Title VII of the Children's Code 3 and Children's Code Arts. 791.4 and 791.5, relative to truancy and assessment and 4 service centers; to provide with respect to monitoring, evaluation, reporting 5 requirements, and operation; to provide for administrative costs; to provide that 6 operations be administered by the Louisiana Commission on Law Enforcement and 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 chapter heading of Chapter 15 of Title VII of the Children's Code and 13 Children's Code Arts. 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 ENGROSSED 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, commission may also develop and implement a monitoring and 7 evaluation program for all parishes with truancy and assessment and service centers 8 subject to state funding. 9 Art. 791.5. Reporting; operation 10 A. On July first of each year beginning July 1, 2007, the office of social 11 services research and development, Louisiana State University, The Louisiana 12 Commission on Law Enforcement and Administration of Criminal Justice shall 13 report statistical data indicating the effectiveness of this program to the appropriate 14 standing committees of the legislature Joint Legislative Committee on the Budget 15 for use by the committees committee in consideration of continuation or expansion 16 of the program. 17 B. The provisions of this Chapter with respect to any parish which has a 18 truancy and assessment and service center shall be operational subject to 19 appropriation by the legislature to the commission. 20 C. The commission may use appropriated funds to provide for the 21 reasonable costs of administering the provisions of this Chapter and to provide 22 funding for the local truancy assessment service centers. 23 Section 2. The Louisiana State Law Institute is hereby authorized and directed to 24 make the following changes: 25 A. Change any reference in the Children's Code and related provisions in the 26 Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950 from "Truancy and Assessment and Service Centers" to 27 "Truancy Assessment Service Centers". 28 B. Change the reference in Children's Code Article 543(F)(10) from "Truancy 29 assistance service centers" to "Truancy assessment service centers". 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 ENGROSSED 1 C. Change the reference in R.S. 46:2758.2(B)(1) from "Truancy Assessment and 2 Service Centers" to "Truancy Assessment Service Centers". 3 Section 3. This Act shall become effective upon signature by the governor or, if not 4 signed by the governor, upon expiration of the time for bills to become law without signature 5 by the governor, as provided by Article III, Section 18 of the Constitution of Louisiana. If 6 vetoed by the governor and subsequently approved by the legislature, this Act shall become 7 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 Engrossed 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 (commission). 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 commission 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 commission may use appropriated funds 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. 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 ENGROSSED (Amends Ch.C. Title VII, Ch. 15 (chapter heading) and Arts. 791.4 and 791.5) Summary of Amendments Adopted by Senate Committee Amendments Proposed by Senate Committee on Judiciary B to the original bill 1. Makes technical changes. Page 4 of 4 Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law; words in boldface type and underscored are additions.