§35.3. Domestic abuse battery

           A. Domestic abuse battery is the intentional use of force or violence committed by one household member or family member upon the person of another household member or family member.

           B. For purposes of this Section:

           (1) "Burning" means an injury to flesh or skin caused by heat, electricity, friction, radiation, or any other chemical or thermal reaction.

           (2) "Community service activities" as used in this Section may include duty in any morgue, coroner's office, or emergency treatment room of a state-operated hospital or other state-operated emergency treatment facility, with the consent of the administrator of the morgue, coroner's office, hospital, or facility.

           (3) "Court-monitored domestic abuse intervention program" means a program, comprised of a minimum of twenty-six in-person sessions occurring over a minimum of twenty-six weeks, that follows a model designed specifically for perpetrators of domestic abuse. The offender's progress in the program shall be monitored by the court. The provider of the program shall have all of the following:

           (a) Experience in working directly with perpetrators and victims of domestic abuse.

           (b) Experience in facilitating batterer intervention groups.

           (c) Training in the causes and dynamics of domestic violence, characteristics of batterers, victim safety, and sensitivity to victims.

           (4) "Family member" means spouses, former spouses, parents, children, stepparents, stepchildren, foster parents, foster children, other ascendants, and other descendants. "Family member" also means the other parent or foster parent of any child or foster child of the offender.

           (5) "Household member" means any person presently or formerly living in the same residence with the offender and who is involved or has been involved in a sexual or intimate relationship with the offender, or any child presently or formerly living in the same residence with the offender, or any child of the offender regardless of where the child resides.

           (6) Repealed by Acts 2019, No. 2, §3, eff. August 1, 2019.

           (7) "Strangulation" means intentionally impeding the normal breathing or circulation of the blood by applying pressure on the throat or neck or by blocking the nose or mouth of the victim.

           C. On a first conviction, notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, the offender shall be fined not less than three hundred dollars nor more than one thousand dollars and shall be imprisoned for not less than thirty days nor more than six months. At least forty-eight hours of the sentence imposed shall be served without benefit of parole, probation, or suspension of sentence. Imposition or execution of the remainder of the sentence shall not be suspended unless either of the following occurs:

           (1) The offender is placed on probation with a minimum condition that he serve four days in jail and complete a court-monitored domestic abuse intervention program, and the offender shall not own or possess a firearm throughout the entirety of the sentence.

           (2) The offender is placed on probation with a minimum condition that he perform eight, eight-hour days of court-approved community service activities and complete a court-monitored domestic abuse intervention program, and the offender shall not own or possess a firearm throughout the entirety of the sentence.

           D. On a conviction of a second offense, notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, regardless of whether the second offense occurred before or after the first conviction, the offender shall be fined not less than seven hundred fifty dollars nor more than one thousand dollars and shall be imprisoned with or without hard labor for not less than sixty days nor more than one year. At least fourteen days of the sentence imposed shall be served without benefit of parole, probation, or suspension of sentence, and the offender shall be required to complete a court-monitored domestic abuse intervention program. Imposition or execution of the remainder of the sentence shall not be suspended unless either of the following occurs:

           (1) The offender is placed on probation with a minimum condition that he serve thirty days in jail and complete a court-monitored domestic abuse intervention program, and the offender shall not own or possess a firearm throughout the entirety of the sentence.

           (2) The offender is placed on probation with a minimum condition that he perform thirty eight-hour days of court-approved community service activities and complete a court-monitored domestic abuse intervention program, and the offender shall not own or possess a firearm throughout the entirety of the sentence.

           E. On a conviction of a third offense, notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary and regardless of whether the offense occurred before or after an earlier conviction, the offender shall be imprisoned with or without hard labor for not less than one year nor more than five years and shall be fined two thousand dollars. The first year of the sentence of imprisonment shall be imposed without benefit of probation, parole, or suspension of sentence.

           F.(1) Except as otherwise provided in Paragraph (2) of this Subsection, on a conviction of a fourth or subsequent offense, notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary and regardless of whether the fourth offense occurred before or after an earlier conviction, the offender shall be imprisoned with hard labor for not less than ten years nor more than thirty years and shall be fined five thousand dollars. The first three years of the sentence of imprisonment shall be imposed without benefit of probation, parole, or suspension of sentence.

           (2) If the offender has previously received the benefit of suspension of sentence, probation, or parole as a fourth or subsequent offender, no part of the sentence may be imposed with benefit of suspension of sentence, probation, or parole, and no portion of the sentence shall be imposed concurrently with the remaining balance of any sentence to be served for a prior conviction for any offense.

           G.(1) For purposes of determining whether an offender has a prior conviction for violation of this Section, a conviction under this Section, or a conviction under the laws of any state or an ordinance of a municipality, town, or similar political subdivision of another state which prohibits the intentional use of force or violence committed by one household member, family member, or dating partner upon another household member, family member, or dating partner shall constitute a prior conviction.

           (2) For purposes of this Section, a prior conviction shall not include a conviction for an offense under this Section if the date of completion of sentence, probation, parole, or suspension of sentence is more than ten years prior to the commission of the crime with which the offender is charged, and such conviction shall not be considered in the assessment of penalties hereunder. However, periods of time during which the offender was incarcerated in a penal institution in this or any other state shall be excluded in computing the ten-year period.

           H. An offender ordered to complete a court-monitored domestic abuse intervention program required by the provisions of this Section shall pay the cost incurred in participation in the program. Failure to make such payment shall subject the offender to revocation of probation, unless the court determines that the offender is unable to pay.

           I. This Subsection shall be cited as the "Domestic Abuse Child Endangerment Law". Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, when the state proves, in addition to the elements of the crime as set forth in Subsection A of this Section, that a minor child thirteen years of age or younger was present at the residence or any other scene at the time of the commission of the offense, the offender, in addition to any other penalties imposed pursuant to this Section, shall be imprisoned as follows:

           (1) For a first offense, not less than one year nor more than three years at hard labor.

           (2) For a second or subsequent offense, not less than three years nor more than six years at hard labor.

           J. Any crime of violence, as defined in R.S. 14:2(B), against a person committed by one household member against another household member, shall be designated as an act of domestic abuse for consideration in any civil or criminal proceeding.

           K. Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, if the victim of domestic abuse battery is pregnant and the offender knows that the victim is pregnant at the time of the commission of the offense, the offender, in addition to any other penalties imposed pursuant to this Section, shall be imprisoned at hard labor for not more than three years.

           L.(1) Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, if the domestic abuse battery involves strangulation, the offender, in addition to any other penalties imposed pursuant to this Section, shall be imprisoned at hard labor for not more than ten years. At least one year of the sentence imposed shall be served without the benefit of probation or suspension of sentence.

           (2) If the strangulation results in serious bodily injury, the offender, in addition to any other penalties imposed pursuant to this Section, shall be imprisoned at hard labor for not less than five nor more than fifty years without benefit of probation, parole, or suspension of sentence.

           M.(1) Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, if the domestic abuse battery is committed by burning, the offender, in addition to any other penalties imposed pursuant to this Section, shall be imprisoned at hard labor for not more than three years.

           (2) If the burning results in serious bodily injury, the offense shall be classified as a crime of violence, and the offender, in addition to any other penalties imposed pursuant to this Section, shall be imprisoned at hard labor for not less than five nor more than fifty years without benefit of probation, parole, or suspension of sentence.

           N. Except as provided in Paragraphs (L)(2) and (M)(2) and Subsection P of this Section, if the offender intentionally inflicts serious bodily injury, the offender, in addition to any other penalties imposed pursuant to this Section, shall be imprisoned at hard labor for not more than eight years.

           O. Except as provided in Subsection P of this Section, if the intentional use of force or violence is committed with a dangerous weapon, the offender, in addition to any other penalties imposed pursuant to this Section, shall be imprisoned at hard labor for not more than ten years.

           P. Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, if the intentional use of force or violence is committed with a dangerous weapon when the offender intentionally inflicts serious bodily injury, the offender, in addition to other penalties imposed pursuant to this Section, shall be imprisoned at hard labor for not more than fifteen years.

           Added by Acts 2003, No. 1038, §1; Acts 2004, No. 144, §1; Acts 2006, No. 559, §1; Acts 2007, No. 101, §1, eff. August 15, 2007; Acts 2009, No. 90, §1, eff. August 15, 2009; Acts 2009, No. 245, §1, eff. July 1, 2009; Acts 2010, No. 380, §1, eff. August 15, 2010; Acts 2011, No. 284, §1, eff. August 15, 2011; Acts 2012, No. 437, §1, eff. August 1, 2012; Acts 2012, No. 535, §1, eff. June 5, 2012; Acts 2013, No. 289, §1, eff. June 14, 2013; Acts 2014, No. 194, §1, eff. August 1, 2014; Acts 2015, No. 440, §1, eff. August 1, 2015; Acts 2016, No. 452, §1, eff. August 1, 2016; Acts 2017, No. 79, §1, eff. August 1, 2017; Acts 2018, No. 293, §1, eff. August 1, 2018; Acts 2019, No. 2, §3, eff. August 1, 2019; Acts 2020, No. 101, §1, eff. August 1, 2020; Acts 2024, No. 131, §1, eff. August 1, 2024; Acts 2026, No. 146, §1, eff. August 1, 2026; Acts 2026, No. 623, §1, eff. August 1, 2026.