Art. 610. Reporting procedure; reports to the legislature and the United States Department of Defense Family Advocacy Program

            A. A reporter shall immediately report suspected child abuse or neglect or that child abuse or neglect was a contributing factor in a child's death in the following ways:

            (1) To the Department of Children and Family Services if the reporter has reason to believe that the perpetrator is any of the following:

            (a) A parent or caretaker as defined in Article 603.

            (b) A person who maintains an interpersonal dating or engagement relationship with the parent or caretaker.

            (c) A person living in the same residence as the parent or caretaker.

            (d) A person living in the same residence as the child, or any residence of the child, if the child has more than one residence.

            (e) An employee or an operator of an early learning center as defined in R.S. 17:407.33.

            (f) An operator or employee of a registered family child day care home.

            (g) Another child residing in the same residence for cases of suspected sexual abuse.

            (h) Indeterminable by the mandatory reporter, but the reporter suspects that the abuse occurred at the child's residence.

            (2) To a local or state law enforcement agency if the reporter has reason to believe that the perpetrator is any of the following:

            (a) A person other than a person provided for in Subparagraph (1) of this Paragraph.

            (b) A teacher, instructor, administrator, staff person, school bus driver, teacher aide, paraprofessional, food service worker, or employee of any public or private elementary, secondary, vocational-technical training, special, or postsecondary school, city, parish, or other local public school board, if the abuse or neglect is perpetrated on a student.

            (c) Another child who does not reside in the same residence for cases of suspected sexual abuse.

            (3) Dual reporting to both the department and the local or state law enforcement agency is permitted. However, the agency who receives a report pursuant to Subparagraph (1) or (2) of this Paragraph shall be the agency responsible for accepting and acting on the report and shall ensure referral to other agencies as necessary.

            (4) Reports to the department shall be made as follows:

            (a) A mandatory reporter shall make a report of suspected abuse or neglect requiring immediate assistance via the designated state child protection reporting hotline telephone number. A report of suspected abuse or neglect which is of a nonemergency nature may be reported via the Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services Mandated Reporter Portal online. Reports may also be made in person at any child welfare office.

            (b) If a report involves alleged sex trafficking, all mandatory reporters shall report via the hotline telephone number to the department regardless of whether there is alleged parental or caretaker culpability.

            (c) A permitted reporter shall make a report through the designated state child protection reporting hotline telephone number or in person at any child welfare office.

            (5) If a school resource officer suspects child abuse or neglect of a student or if a mandatory reporter reports suspected child abuse or neglect to a school resource officer, the school resource officer shall immediately notify the officer's employing law enforcement agency or the Department of Children and Family Services in accordance with the provisions of this Article. The school resource officer's employer shall assign investigation of the matter to the most appropriate law enforcement officer, who may be the school resource officer.

            (6) If a mandatory reporter is prohibited from immediately making the report required by this Chapter to the department or local or state law enforcement because of an employer's policies or employee manual, the mandatory reporter shall file a complaint with local or state law enforcement. Local or state law enforcement shall investigate the complaint, and an employer violating this Chapter shall be subject to the penalties provided for in R.S. 14:131.1 and 403. An employer shall not discriminate or retaliate against an employee who is a mandatory reporter for complying with this Article. If an employer is found discriminating or retaliating against an employee for complying with this Article, the employer shall be subject to double the fines provided for in R.S. 14:131.1 and 403.

            (7) In an investigation of a report of abuse or neglect allegedly committed by a parent or caretaker, the department shall determine whether the person is an active duty member of the United States Armed Forces or the spouse of a member on active duty. If the department determines that the person is an active duty member of the United States Armed Forces or the spouse of a member on active duty, the department shall notify the United States Department of Defense Family Advocacy Program at the closest active duty military installation of the investigation.

            B. The report shall contain the following information, if known:

            (1) The name, address, age, sex, and race of the child.

            (2) The nature, extent, and cause of the child's injuries or endangered condition, including any previous known or suspected abuse to this child or the child's siblings.

            (3) The name and address of the child's parent(s) or other caretaker.

            (4) The names and ages of all other members of the child's household.

            (5) The name and address of the reporter.

            (6) An account of how this child came to the reporter's attention.

            (7) Any explanation of the cause of the child's injury or condition offered by the child, the caretaker, or any other person.

            (8) The number of times the reporter has filed a report on the child or the child's siblings.

            (9) Any other information which the reporter believes might be important or relevant.

            C. The report shall also name the person or persons who are thought to have caused or contributed to the child's condition, if known, and the report shall contain the name of such person if he is named by the child.

            D. If the initial report was in oral form by a mandatory reporter, it shall be followed by a written report made within five days via the online Mandated Reporter Portal of the department or by mail to the centralized intake unit of the department at the address provided on the website of the department; or, if necessary, to the local law enforcement agency. The reporter may use a form for the written report, which shall be developed, approved, and made available by the Department of Children and Family Services. The form is optional and may be available electronically on the department's website.

            E.(1) All reports made to any local or state law enforcement agency involving abuse or neglect in which an individual provided for in Subparagraph (A)(1) of this Article is believed responsible shall be reported to the department within twenty-four hours in accordance with Paragraph A of this Article.

            (2) All reports made to the department involving abuse or neglect in which someone other than an individual provided for in Subparagraph (A)(1) of this Article is believed to be responsible shall be reported to the appropriate law enforcement agency within twenty-four hours by telephone. The department also shall report all cases of child death which involve a suspicion of abuse or neglect as a contributing factor in the child's death to the local and state law enforcement agencies, the office of the district attorney, and the coroner.

            (3) Reports involving a felony-grade crime against a child shall be promptly communicated to the appropriate law enforcement authorities as part of the interagency protocols for multidisciplinary investigations of child abuse and neglect in each judicial district as provided in Articles 509 and 510.

            (4) The department shall communicate as soon as possible all reports involving alleged child victims of sex trafficking to the Louisiana State Police for referral to the appropriate local law enforcement agency for investigation or other action as appropriate.

            F. Any commercial film or photographic print processor who has knowledge of or observes, within the scope of this professional capacity or employment, any film, photograph, video tape, negative, or slide depicting a child who he knows or should know is under the age of seventeen years, which constitutes child pornography or child sexual abuse materials as defined in Article 603, shall report immediately to the local law enforcement agency having jurisdiction over the case. The reporter shall provide a copy of the film, photograph, videotape, negative, or slide to the agency receiving the report.

            G.(1) If a physician has cause to believe that a newborn was exposed in utero to an unlawfully used controlled dangerous substance, as defined by R.S. 40:961 et seq., the physician shall order a toxicology test upon the newborn, without the consent of the newborn's parents or guardian, to determine whether there is evidence of prenatal neglect. If the test results are positive, the physician shall issue a report, as soon as possible, in accordance with this Article. If the test results are negative, all identifying information shall be obliterated if the record is retained, unless the parent approves the inclusion of identifying information. Positive test results shall not be admissible in a criminal prosecution.

            (2) If there are symptoms of withdrawal in the newborn or other observable and harmful effects in his physical appearance or functioning that a physician has cause to believe are due to the chronic or severe use of alcohol by the mother during pregnancy or are the effects of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, the physician shall issue a report in accordance with this Article.

            H.(1) All instances of alleged child abuse that occur in a school setting shall be immediately reported to the child's parent or legal guardian and to local or state law enforcement, regardless of the alleged perpetrator.

            (2) If more than one child is involved in the allegations, the school shall immediately report to the parent or legal guardian of all involved children.

            (3) Law enforcement shall begin an investigation of the allegations within forty-eight hours of receiving the report.

            (4) If more than one child is involved in the allegations, law enforcement shall interview the parent or legal guardian of all children involved.

            (5) Any sexual abuse cases in which the alleged perpetrator is a child shall be referred to the Department of Children and Family Services. The department shall assess the family of the child victim and the alleged child perpetrator to ensure child safety and well-being in accordance with Children's Code Article 612(A)(3).

            (6) For purposes of this Article, the following definitions shall apply:

            (a) "School setting" means in a school building, on school grounds, in school vehicles, or at any activities sponsored by a school.

            (b) "Sexual abuse" means the perpetration or attempted perpetration of R.S. 14:41, 42, 42.1, 43, 43.1, 43.2, 43.3, 43.4, 80, 81, 81.1, 81.2, 86, 89, or 89.1.

            I.(1) The provisions of this Paragraph shall be known and may be cited as The Alfred C. Williams Child Protection Act.

            (2) Beginning May 1, 2017, and annually thereafter, the department shall provide to the legislature the following child-specific information regarding reports of child abuse or neglect reported to the department pursuant to the provisions of this Article:

            (a) The actual or estimated age, the sex, and the race of each child at the time the latest report was received.

            (b) The parish location of primary case name of the latest report accepted for investigation received.

            (c) The categories, levels, and final findings assigned to each allegation contained in reports received for each child.

            (d) The number of cases accepted for investigation in which the child was an alleged victim during the report year.

            (e) The number of cases accepted for investigation in which the child was a substantiated victim during the report year.

            (f) The number of reports accepted for investigation prior to report year in which the child was an alleged or substantiated victim.

            (g) The number of other alleged victims in reports accepted for investigation in each child's cases prior to report year.

            (h) The number of reports accepted for investigation prior to the report year in which the child was a substantiated victim.

            (i) The number of other substantiated victims in reports accepted for investigation in each child's cases prior to report year.

            (j) The number of distinct reporter names for all investigations in which the child is an alleged or substantiated victim.

            (3) For purposes of this Paragraph, the following words shall have the following meanings:

            (a) "Alleged victim" includes a child who is the subject of an investigation and for whom there is an allegation of abuse or neglect.

            (b) "Substantiated victim" includes an alleged victim for whom one or more allegations of abuse or neglect have been substantiated pursuant to Article 615.

            (4) The information provided in the annual report required by Subparagraph (2) of this Paragraph shall not include the name, street address, or other identifying information of any child, parent, sibling, or reporter.

            (5) If the department fails to submit timely the report required by Subparagraph (2) of this Paragraph, then the legislature or either house thereof, through its authorized representative, may petition the Nineteenth Judicial District Court for writs of mandamus to compel the submission of the report. Any failure to obey a writ of mandamus issued by the court may be punishable by the court as contempt thereof.

            Acts 1991, No. 235, §6, eff. Jan. 1, 1992; Acts 1997, No. 1103, §1, eff. July 14, 1997; Acts 1999, No. 1178, §1, eff. July 9, 1999; Acts 2004, No. 75, §1, eff. May 28, 2004; Acts 2004, No. 78, §1, eff. May 28, 2004; Acts 2006, No. 157, §1; Acts 2007, No. 396, §1; Acts 2012, No. 268, §2, eff. May 25, 2012; Acts 2012, No. 614, §2, eff. June 7, 2012; Acts 2016, No. 302, §1; Acts 2017, No. 359, §§1, 3, and 4; Acts 2018, No. 104, §1; Acts 2018, No. 207, §1; Acts 2022, No. 662, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 2023; Acts 2024, No. 216, §1, eff. May 23, 2024; Acts 2025, No. 195, §1; Acts 2025, No. 261, §6; Acts 2025, No. 409, §7.