§587.1. Provision of information to protect children

            A.(1) As provided in R.S. 15:825.3, R.S. 17:8.9, 15, 407.42, and 407.71, Children's Code Article 424.1, and R.S. 46:51.2, any employer or others responsible for the actions of one or more persons who have been given or have applied to be considered for a position of supervisory or disciplinary authority over children, and as provided in R.S. 46:51.2(A), the Department of Children and Family Services as employer of one or more persons who have been given or have applied to be considered for a position whose duties include the investigation of child abuse or neglect, supervisory or disciplinary authority over children, direct care of a child, or performance of licensing surveys, and for individuals who are employed by or contracted staff of a child care institution, as defined in 42 U.S.C. 672, licensed by the department, shall request in writing that the bureau supply information to ascertain whether that person or persons have been arrested for or convicted of, or pled nolo contendere to, any criminal offense. The request must be on a form prepared by the bureau and signed by a responsible officer or official of the organization or department making the request. It must include a statement signed by the person about whom the request is made which gives his permission for such information to be released.

            (2) In responding to a request for information as provided for in Paragraph (1) of this Subsection, the bureau shall make available a record of all criminal arrests and convictions prior to the date of request. Any recipient of such information as provided in this Subsection shall maintain the confidentiality of such criminal history information in accordance with applicable federal or state law.

            (3) The bureau, upon receiving a request as provided for in Paragraph (2) of this Subsection, shall provide a report promptly and in writing, but provide only such information as is necessary to specify whether or not that person has been arrested or convicted of or pled nolo contendere to any such crime or crimes, the crime or crimes of which he has been arrested or convicted or to which he has pled nolo contendere, and the date or dates on which they occurred.

            B.(1)(a) Upon receiving a request pursuant to the provisions of R.S. 17:8.9, 15, 407.42, and 407.71, and R.S. 46:51.2 when authorized by R.S. 15:587, that meets the requirements of Subsection A of this Section, the bureau of criminal identification and information shall survey its criminal history records and identification files and make a simultaneous request of the Federal Bureau of Investigation for like information from other jurisdictions. The bureau of criminal identification and information shall provide a report promptly and in writing, but provide only such information as is necessary to specify whether or not that person has been arrested for or convicted of or pled nolo contendere to any crime or crimes, the crime or crimes of which he has been arrested or convicted or to which he has pled nolo contendere, and the date or dates on which they occurred. The report provided pursuant to the provisions of this Subsection shall include arrests, convictions, or other dispositions, including convictions dismissed pursuant to Code of Criminal Procedure Articles 893 and 894.

            (b) In addition to the requirements of Subparagraph (a) of this Paragraph, for requests made pursuant to R.S. 17:407.42 and 407.71, the bureau is authorized to submit fingerprints to the Federal Bureau of Investigation to be retained in the FBI rap back system for the purpose of being searched by future submissions to the FBI rap back system, including latent fingerprint searches. The bureau shall make available to the Louisiana Department of Education rap backs for requests made pursuant to R.S. 17:407.42 and 407.71. Any recipient of such information as provided for in this Paragraph shall maintain the confidentiality of such criminal history information in accordance with applicable state or federal law.

NOTE: Subparagraph (B)(1)(c) eff. upon promulgation of rules by the Louisiana State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education. See Acts 2020, No.154 and Acts 2022, No. 745.

            (c) In addition to the requirements of Subparagraph (a) of this Paragraph, for requests made by the state Department of Education pursuant to R.S. 17:8.9(A)(2), the bureau is authorized to submit fingerprints to the Federal Bureau of Investigation to be retained in the FBI rap back system for the purpose of being searched by future submissions to the FBI rap back system, including latent fingerprint searches. The bureau shall make available to the Louisiana Department of Education rap backs for requests made pursuant to R.S. 17:8.9(A)(2). Any recipient of such information as provided for in this Paragraph shall maintain the confidentiality of such criminal history information in accordance with applicable state or federal law.

            (2)(a) When an individual's record contains information which has been expunged, the bureau shall include in its report to the requesting person or entity the date of the arrest and a notation that the individual's record contains information which has been expunged and that the requestor may contact the bureau in order to obtain further information regarding the expunged information.

            (b) The bureau shall establish policies and procedures by which the persons and entities enumerated in this Section may be furnished with expunged information. These policies and procedures shall not require the requesting person or entity to personally appear at the office of the bureau in order to obtain access to the expunged information.

            (c) The requesting person or entity, upon receiving the expunged information, shall maintain the confidentiality of the information as provided by law, and the expunged information shall not be deemed a public record.

            (d) The information may be used or admitted as evidence in any court proceeding or employment or disciplinary hearing in which the receiving person or entity is an authorized participant.

            C. The provisions of R.S. 15:825.3, R.S. 17:8.9, 15, 407.42, and 407.71, R.S. 46:51.2, and Children's Code Article 424.1 shall govern the employment of persons who have been convicted of, or pled guilty or nolo contendere to, any of the following crimes:

            (1) R.S. 14:30, R.S. 14:30.1, R.S. 14:31, R.S. 14:32.6 through R.S. 14:32.8, R.S. 14:41 through R.S. 14:45, R.S. 14:46.4, R.S. 14:74, R.S. 14:78, R.S. 14:78.1, R.S. 14:79.1, R.S. 14:80 through R.S. 14:86, R.S. 14:89, R.S. 14:89.1, R.S. 14:89.2, R.S. 14:92, R.S. 14:93, R.S. 14:93.2.1, R.S. 14:93.3, crimes of violence as defined in R.S.14:2(B), sex offenses as defined in R.S. 15:541, R.S. 14:106, R.S. 14:282, R.S. 14:283, R.S. 14:283.1, R.S. 14:284, R.S. 14:286, R.S. 40:966(A), R.S. 40:967(A), R.S. 40:968(A), R.S. 40:969(A), and R.S. 40:970(A) or convictions for attempt or conspiracy to commit any of those offenses;

            (2) Those of a jurisdiction other than Louisiana which, in the judgment of the bureau employee charged with responsibility for responding to the request, would constitute a crime under the provisions cited in this Subsection; and

            (3) Those under the Federal Criminal Code having analogous elements of criminal and moral turpitude.

            D.(1) The costs of providing the information required under this Section shall be charged by the bureau to the private employer or to the department, office, or other agency of government which has given, or is considering giving, a person supervisory or disciplinary authority over children or which made the request for information pursuant to the provisions of R.S. 17:15 or R.S. 46:51.2. Neither the individual applicant nor a judge exercising juvenile jurisdiction shall bear such costs.

            (2) The prohibition in Paragraph (1) of this Subsection against an individual applicant bearing any of the costs of providing information shall not apply to requests made pursuant to the provisions of R.S. 17:8.9, 15, 407.42, or 407.71 or R.S. 46:51.2.

            E. In addition to any penalties otherwise imposed under the provisions of this Chapter, the head of or other responsible person for any public entity who fails to comply with the provisions of Subsection A of this Section or who employs any person in violation of the provisions of R.S. 15:825.3, R.S. 17:8.9 or 15, or R.S. 46:51.2(A) or (B) shall be fined not more than five hundred dollars.

            F. This Section may be cited as the "Louisiana Child Protection Act".

            G. Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, the bureau and the Department of Public Safety and Corrections, corrections services, may utilize the National Crime Information Center to conduct such background checks as are required by this Section.

            H. Any licensed child placement agency as defined in Children's Code Article 1169 and any person authorized to conduct preplacement home studies pursuant to Children's Code Article 1172 shall be entitled to information from the bureau to ascertain whether a person has been arrested for or convicted of, or pled nolo contendere to, any criminal offense. The bureau shall, upon request and after receipt of fingerprint cards or other identifying information from the licensed child placement agency or person authorized to conduct preplacement adoption home studies, make available to the agency or person only that information contained in the bureau's criminal history record and identification files necessary in determining whether a person has been arrested for or convicted of, or pled nolo contendere to, a crime. The bureau shall charge the cost of providing such information to the agencies and persons entitled to receive the information as provided in this Subsection.

            I. Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, the Department of Children and Family Services, office of children and family services, may utilize the National Crime Information Center to conduct background checks authorized in R.S. 15:587 when investigating or responding to reports of abuse or neglect as provided for in Section 151 of Public Law 109-248.

            J.(1) Any Court Appointed Special Advocate program as defined in Children's Code Article 116 shall be entitled to information from the bureau to ascertain whether a person being considered for involvement with the CASA program has been arrested for, or convicted of, or pled guilty or nolo contendere to, any criminal offense. The bureau shall, upon request and after receipt of fingerprint cards or other identifying information from the CASA program, survey its criminal history records and identification files. The bureau shall provide a report promptly and in writing, but provide only such information as is necessary to specify whether or not that person has been arrested for or convicted of or pled guilty or nolo contendere to any crime or crimes, the crime or crimes of which he has been arrested for or convicted or to which he has pled guilty or nolo contendere, and the date or dates on which they occurred. The report provided pursuant to the provisions of this Subsection shall include arrests, convictions, or other dispositions, including convictions dismissed pursuant to Code of Criminal Procedure Articles 893 and 894.

            (2) When a criminal history records check is requested pursuant to this Subsection, in addition to the requirements set forth in Paragraph (1) of this Subsection, the bureau shall forward the fingerprints of the individual who is the subject of the inquiry to the Federal Bureau of Investigation for a national criminal history records check and shall provide the CASA program with the national criminal history record information of the individual who is the subject of the inquiry.

            Acts 1986, No. 760, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 1987; Acts 1987, No. 735, §1; Acts 1989, No. 92, §1; Acts 1989, No. 198, §1; Acts 1989, No. 701, §1; Acts 1991, No. 125, §1; Acts 1993, No. 923, §1; Acts 1995, No. 1171, §1; Acts 1997, No. 904, §2, eff. July 10, 1997; Acts 1997, No. 1067, §1; Acts 1999, No. 816, §1; Acts 1999, No. 1052, §1, eff. July 1, 1999; Acts 1999, No. 1144, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 2000; Acts 2001, No. 314, §1, eff. June 6, 2001; Acts 2003, No. 896, §1, eff. July 1, 2003; Acts 2006, No. 233, §1; Acts 2006, No. 309, §1; Acts 2008, No. 649, §1; Acts 2009, No. 221, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 2010; Acts 2010, No. 355, §1; Acts 2010, No. 781, §1; Acts 2011, No. 283, §1; Acts 2012, No. 374, §1, eff. May 31, 2012; Acts 2014, No. 721, §3; Acts 2014, No. 868, §1, eff. Oct. 1, 2014; Acts 2015, No. 354, §1, eff. July 1, 2015; Acts 2016, No. 646, §3, special eff. date; Acts 2017, No. 423, §§1, 6, special eff. date; Acts 2019, No. 243, §1, eff. June 11, 2019; Acts 2020, No. 24, §1; Acts 2020, No. 154, §1, see Act; Acts 2022, No. 745, §1, see Act; Acts 2022, No. 745, §3; Acts 2023, No. 392, §2, eff. June 14, 2023.