§403.3. Reports of missing children; procedures; false reports or communications; penalties

            A.(1) Any state or local law enforcement agency receiving a report of a missing child or the recovery of a missing child and having reasonable grounds to believe the report is accurate shall do all of the following immediately after receiving the report:

            (a) Enter the name of the child into the National Crime Information Center's database.

            (b) Notify each of the following of the facts and contents of the report:

            (i) The Department of Children and Family Services to the extent that the reporting is required pursuant to Chapter 5 of Title VI of the Children's Code.

            (ii) The office of state police, if it did not originally receive the report.

            (iii) The office of the sheriff for the parish in which the report was received, if it did not originally receive the report.

            (iv) Any other local, state, or federal law enforcement agency that the law enforcement agency receiving the report deems necessary and appropriate depending upon the facts of each case.

            (2) The law enforcement agency may also notify any other appropriate local, state, or federal agency of the fact and contents of the report.

            B. No person shall knowingly file a false missing child report with a law enforcement agency.

            C. No person shall intentionally communicate false information concerning a missing child, or the recovery of a missing child, to a law enforcement agency when such information is communicated with the specific intent to delay or otherwise hinder an investigation to locate the child.

            D. Whoever violates the provisions of Subsection B of this Section shall be fined not more than two thousand dollars or be imprisoned for not more than one year, with or without hard labor, or both.

            E. Whoever violates the provisions of Subsection C of this Section shall be imprisoned at hard labor for not more than five years.

            Acts 1985, No. 393, §1; Acts 2005, No. 503, §1; Acts 2012, No. 446, §1; Acts 2012, No. 454, §1; Acts 2012, No. 477, §1, eff. June 3, 2012; Acts 2020, No. 96, §1.