La. Rev. Stat. § 46:938 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 46 / Section 938
Volunteer service credit program; creation
Status: in_force

NOTE: §938 eff. until one or more of the 20 depts. of the executive branch is abolished or a const. amend. authorizing the creation of an additional dept. becomes effective, whichever is earlier. See Acts 2013, No. 384, §§5 and 9.

A. The office of elderly affairs shall establish a computer-based volunteer service credit program under which persons may volunteer their services to provide respite care, homemaker care, home repair and maintenance services as provided by R.S. 46:937.1(B) and (C), or related services to persons sixty years of age or older who are determined by the office to need such care. Volunteer participants in this program shall receive credit for providing the volunteer services, which credit may then be drawn upon when volunteers or their spouses are determined by the office to need services included in the volunteer service credit program.

B. The office shall establish a computer-based volunteer skills bank which shall include a registry of names, skills, and interests of persons earning service credits, an accounting system necessary to track service credits earned by each volunteer, and the capacity to provide each volunteer with monthly balances of credits earned and credits expended.

C. To the extent possible, the office shall recruit and train a sufficient number of volunteers to assure the availability of volunteers to meet the needs of persons who have service credits and who need to draw on their accounts. The office shall also develop a contingency plan for using the staff and programs of the office to ensure that services are available in return for credit in the event no appropriate volunteer is available. The contingency plan shall be incorporated into rules adopted pursuant to the provisions of this Section.

D. The office shall adopt rules necessary to administer the program, which shall include standards to screen and train participants and to limit the number of hours of credit which may be accumulated by each volunteer.

E. The office shall coordinate this program with the parish councils on aging and other existing volunteer programs where feasible.

F. The office shall report annually to the legislature on the implementation of the program. The report shall include the number of volunteer participants, the number of credited hours of service, all costs associated with the program, any recommendations for program modifications, and any other information relevant to program effectiveness. The first annual report shall be delivered to the legislature no later than thirty days prior to the 1988 Regular Session and shall include the office's assessment of the feasibility of the program and any recommendations as to whether the program should be continued, expanded, or discontinued.

NOTE: §938 as amended by Acts 2013, No. 384, §5, eff. when one or more of the 20 depts. of the executive branch is abolished or a const. amend. authorizing the creation of an additional dept. becomes effective, whichever is earlier.

A. The Department of Elderly Affairs shall establish a computer-based volunteer service credit program under which persons may volunteer their services to provide respite care, homemaker care, home repair, and maintenance services as provided by R.S. 46:937.1(B) and (C), or related services to persons sixty years of age or older who are determined by the department to need such care. Volunteer participants in this program shall receive credit for providing the volunteer services, which credit may then be drawn upon when volunteers or their spouses are determined by the department to need services included in the volunteer service credit program.

B. The department shall establish a computer-based volunteer skills bank which shall include a registry of names, skills, and interests of persons earning service credits, an accounting system necessary to track service credits earned by each volunteer, and the capacity to provide each volunteer with monthly balances of credits earned and credits expended.

C. To the extent possible, the department shall recruit and train a sufficient number of volunteers to assure the availability of volunteers to meet the needs of persons who have service credits and who need to draw on their accounts. The department shall also develop a contingency plan for using the staff and programs of the department to ensure that services are available in return for credit in the event no appropriate volunteer is available. The contingency plan shall be incorporated into rules adopted pursuant to the provisions of this Section.

D. The department shall adopt rules necessary to administer the program, which shall include standards to screen and train participants and to limit the number of hours of credit which may be accumulated by each volunteer.

E. The department shall coordinate this program with the parish councils on aging and other existing volunteer programs where feasible.

F. The department shall report annually to the legislature on the implementation of the program. The report shall include the number of volunteer participants, the number of credited hours of service, all costs associated with the program, any recommendations for program modifications, and any other information relevant to program effectiveness. The first annual report shall be delivered to the legislature no later than thirty days prior to the 1988 Regular Session and shall include the office's assessment of the feasibility of the program and any recommendations as to whether the program should be continued, expanded, or discontinued.

Acts 1986, No. 623, §1; Acts 1995, No. 1134, §1, eff. June 29, 1995; Acts 2013, No. 384, §5, eff. when one of the 20 executive branch depts. is abolished or a const. amend. authorizing creation of an additional dept. becomes effective, whichever is earlier.
La. Rev. Stat. § 46:443 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 46 / Section 443
Exemption of income and resources
Status: in_force

The secretary of the Department of Children and Family Services and the secretary of the Louisiana Department of Health are hereby authorized to adopt income and resources exemption policies to the extent necessary to conform with the federal Economic Opportunity Act, any social security provision, and any other laws of congress to obtain federal block grant or matching funds for the state's public assistance program. Such income and resources exemption policies shall prevail in the event they conflict with R.S. 46:151, 153, 154, and 233.

NOTE: §443 as amended by Acts 2025, No. 478, eff. Oct. 1, 2027.

§443. Exemption of income and resources

The secretary of Louisiana Works and the secretary of the Louisiana Department of Health are hereby authorized to adopt income and resources exemption policies to the extent necessary to conform with the federal Economic Opportunity Act, any social security provision, and any other laws of congress to obtain federal block grant or matching funds for the state's public assistance program. Such income and resources exemption policies shall prevail in the event they conflict with R.S. 46:151, 153, 154, and 233.

Added by Acts 1965, No. 19, §1. Amended by Acts 1978, No. 786, §6, eff. July 17, 1978; Acts 1997, No. 1155, §1, eff. July 1, 1997; Acts 2025, No. 478, §13, eff. Oct. 1, 2027.
La. Rev. Stat. § 46:122 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 46 / Section 122
Louisiana Military Family Assistance Fund
Status: in_force

A.(1) Funds received by the state treasurer pursuant to the provisions of R.S. 47:120.31 and 306.3, or received by the treasurer or the Louisiana Military Family Assistance Board from other public or private donations, gifts, grants, appropriations or other revenue, including revenue derived from the Support Our Troops special prestige license plate as provided for in R.S. 47:463.131, shall be deposited and credited to a special fund hereby created in the state treasury to be known as the Louisiana Military Family Assistance Fund. The money in the fund shall be used solely as provided for in Subsection B of this Section. In addition to funds from any other source, public or private donations, gifts, or grants from individuals, corporations, nonprofit organizations, or other business entities may be made to the fund and accepted by the fund for military family relief and assistance as provided in this Part.

(2) All unexpended and unencumbered money in the fund at the end of the fiscal year shall remain in the fund. The money in the fund shall be invested by the treasurer in the same manner as money in the general fund and interest earned on the investment of the money shall be credited to the fund. The money in the fund shall not be commingled with other funds, but maintained in a separate account. Balances in the fund shall not lapse at any time, but shall be continuously available for expenditure as provided in this Part.

B. The money in the fund shall be used solely for the following purposes:

(1) To pay need-based claims of family members of activated military personnel or honorably discharged military personnel as authorized by the Louisiana Military Family Assistance Board in the manner provided for in R.S. 46:123.

(2) To provide for state administration of the program provided for in this Part as determined by the board, not to exceed five percent of the total amount deposited into the fund each fiscal year.

(3) To provide for the third party administrator's expenses in administration of the program provided for in this Part, which shall not exceed five percent of the total amount deposited into the fund each fiscal year.

(4) To pay transportation and other related costs of activated military personnel as authorized by the Louisiana Military Family Assistance Board.

(5) To conduct outreach activities for veterans of the United States Armed Forces.

(6) To pay for educational benefits for children, spouses, and surviving spouses of veterans in accordance with R.S. 29:288.

(7) To pay, at the discretion of the Louisiana Military Family Assistance Board, burial fees and costs for deceased indigent veterans or their spouses. For purposes of this Section, "indigent" is defined as an individual that was receiving public assistance, such as food stamps, Temporary Assistance to Needy Families, Medicaid, disability insurance, or residing in public housing, or earning less than two hundred percent of the Federal Poverty Guideline prior to their death.

(8) To pay sums necessary for expenses of eligible beneficiaries under R.S. 29:288, as limited by the provisions of R.S. 29:289.

C.(1) The Louisiana Military Family Assistance Board shall have the authority to issue annual grants from the Military Family Assistance Fund to tax-exempt organizations established under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, that have been in existence for at least three years. The board shall consider applications only from organizations seeking to improve the education, mental health, or housing needs of veterans and their families. Each one-time grant shall be limited to ten thousand dollars. The board's grant authority shall be cumulatively limited to one hundred thousand dollars in any fiscal year.

(2) Applicants shall submit a specific proposal for the use of any grant. Grant funds shall be used only in accordance with the project proposal and budget approved by the board.

(3) Grant funds shall not be used as collateral, to offset other financial obligations, including interest payments on lines of credit, and securing or servicing debt, or to meet cash flow or general operating expenses that are unrelated to the purpose of the grant proposal as defined in the grant agreement letter.

(4) Grantees shall be required to submit a final report outlining the expenditures of the grant. Grantees are required to retain account records, detailing all receipts and expenditures, for a minimum of four years following submission of the final grant report.

(5) Grantees shall repay any grant funds not used for the grant purpose within thirty days of submission of the final report required by this Subsection.

(6) Grantees shall be subject to audit by the Military Family Assistance Board and the legislative auditor regarding the use of grant funds.

Acts 2005, No. 151, §1, eff. June 28, 2005; Acts 2008, No. 676, §1; Acts 2010, No. 256, §1; Acts 2016, No. 402, §1; Acts 2017, No. 3, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 2018; Acts 2022, No. 413, §2, eff. June 15, 2022; Acts 2024, No. 723, §4, eff. June 19, 2024; Acts 2025, No. 241, §1.
La. Rev. Stat. § 46:1919 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 46 / Section 1919
Reports by the department
Status: in_force

The department shall:

(1) Make a full and complete report annually to the governor and the legislature with respect to its activities under this Chapter which shall include recommendation as to the necessary fiscal, administrative, or legislative measures needed for the prevention of juvenile delinquency and for the care and treatment of delinquent children.

(2) Take such action as is necessary and desirable to bring the contents of the report to the attention of the people of the state.

(3) Make such additional reports and recommendations to the governor and the legislature as they may from time to time request or as the department may deem warranted.

Added by Acts 1974, No. 558, §1, emerg. eff. July 12, 1974. Amended by Acts 1978, No. 786, §6, eff. July 17, 1978.
La. Rev. Stat. § 46:461 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 46 / Section 461
Infirm, sick and disabled paupers
Status: in_force

Parish governing authorities shall provide for the support of all infirm, sick and disabled paupers residing within the limits of their respective parishes except those who may reside in municipal corporations either exempt or partially exempt from parish taxation. Parish governing authorities shall adopt such measures as they deem just and necessary to ascertain the names, situation and condition of all infirm, sick and disabled paupers in order that they may provide for the entire support of the utterly destitute and helpless and for the partial support or assistance of others, according to their circumstances and condition.
La. Rev. Stat. § 46:432 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 46 / Section 432
Necessity for appointment; procedure
Status: in_force

The necessity for the appointment of a curator shall be initiated by any relative or other interested person by petition. Upon filing of such petition, the court shall order the incompetent person to show cause in not less than 10 days nor more than 15 days why the application should not be granted. The incompetent person shall be duly cited and be served with a copy of the petition and order. At the hearing the court shall require whatever proof it deems necessary or desirable; and the incompetent person shall have the right of counsel. If the incompetent person does not have sufficient resources to supply counsel, the court, if it deems it necessary or desirable, may appoint special counsel and the person so appointed shall be entitled to a fee of $10.00 in an uncontested case and $25.00 in a contested case, the fee to be taxed as costs against the person initiating the proceedings. All proceedings, at the discretion of the court, may be conducted in private chambers. The judgment or order naming a curator for an incompetent person hereunder shall not constitute an interdiction.

Added by Acts 1950, No. 166, §1. Amended by Acts 1956, No. 177, §1; Acts 1960, No. 61, §1; Acts 1961, No. 15, §1.
La. Rev. Stat. § 46:1069 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 46 / Section 1069
Hospital service district hospitals; contracts for materials, services, or supplies
Status: in_force

Hospital service district hospitals may contract for materials, services, or supplies under a shared service or group purchasing arrangement with other hospitals, public and/or private, subject to the provisions of R.S. 38:2212.

Added by Acts 1978, No. 426, §1.
La. Rev. Stat. § 46:2597 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 46 / Section 2597
State as a model employer
Status: in_force

Agency heads shall:

(1) Ensure that all employees, at the time of employment and every five years thereafter, complete a voluntary self-identification of disability form for effective data collection and analysis of the percentage of individuals with disabilities employed by the agency. The form shall only request disclosure regarding whether an employee has a disability, without reference to or identification of the actual impairment, disability, or medical condition. The completed form shall be confidential and filed in a folder separate from the employee's personnel file.

(2) Prepare and submit an agency plan, by December first of each year, to the office that includes the strategies and goals for the upcoming year and the progress and outcomes for the current year, related to employment of individuals with disabilities. The agency plan shall be formatted in the manner prescribed by the office and include a comparison of the percentage of individuals with disabilities employed by his agency from the previous to current year based on data from the self-identification process outlined in Paragraph (1) of this Section.

Acts 2022, No. 103, §2, eff. May 25, 2022.
La. Rev. Stat. § 46:977.43 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 46 / Section 977.43
Required Medicaid coverage for doulas
Status: in_force

A. The Louisiana Medicaid program shall cover inpatient and, if deemed appropriate, outpatient coverage for doula treatment or care when such care or treatment is used for a medically accepted indication and administered in any healthcare facility by any healthcare professional appropriately registered in this state to provide doula treatment or care in accordance with state and federal guidelines or certifications.

B. A prospective enrollee shall be considered eligible for doula treatment or care enrollment if the individual satisfies all of the following qualifications:

(1) The individual is enrolled in the Louisiana Medicaid program.

(2) A licensed healthcare provider has certified that the individual is pregnant or in the postpartum period.

(3) The pregnant or postpartum woman requests or consents to the use of doula services.

C. Pursuant to this Section, the secretary of the Louisiana Department of Health shall do all the following:

(1) Submit to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services all necessary state plan amendments.

(2) Promulgate and adopt all necessary rules in accordance with the Administrative Procedure Act.

(3) Take any other actions necessary to implement the provisions of this Part.

Acts 2025, No. 228, §1.
La. Rev. Stat. § 46:153.5 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 46 / Section 153.5
Mental health rehabilitation providers; accreditation
Status: in_force

The secretary is authorized to promulgate rules and regulations requiring any provider participating in the Mental Health Rehabilitation Program and providing mental health rehabilitation services to be accredited by an accreditation body. The rules shall be adopted in accordance with the Administrative Procedure Act.

Acts 2003, No. 246, §1.
La. Rev. Stat. § 46:447 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 46 / Section 447
Revision of standard of need; aid to families with dependent children; general assistance
Status: in_force

A. The Louisiana Department of Health and the Department of Children and Family Services jointly shall revise the standard of need for the Family Independence Temporary Assistance Program and the general assistance program each year, basing such standard on the Annual Update of the Poverty Income Guidelines published by the United States Department of Health and Human Services. The standard shall reflect the higher of the southern and national averages. The departments shall cause such revised standard to become effective on January first of each year.

B. Implementation of this provision shall be contingent on the Louisiana Department of Health and the Department of Children and Family Services certifying to the commissioner of the division of administration that the revision will not increase the total state dollar expenditure for the two departments.

NOTE: §447 as amended by Acts 2025, No. 478, eff. Oct. 1, 2027.

§447. Revision of standard of need; Family Independence Temporary Assistance Program; general assistance

A. The Louisiana Department of Health and Louisiana Works jointly shall revise the standard of need for the Family Independence Temporary Assistance Program and the general assistance program each year, basing such standard on the Annual Update of the Poverty Income Guidelines published by the United States Department of Health and Human Services. The standard shall reflect the higher of the southern and national averages. The departments shall cause such revised standard to become effective on January first of each year.

B. Implementation of this provision shall be contingent on the Louisiana Department of Health and Louisiana Works certifying to the commissioner of the division of administration that the revision will not increase the total state dollar expenditure for the two departments.

Acts 1989, No. 722, §1; Acts 2025, No. 478, §13, eff. Oct. 1, 2027.
La. Rev. Stat. § 46:2193 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 46 / Section 2193
Civil fine
Status: in_force

Any motor vehicle manufacturer that is found to have violated R.S. 46:2192 shall be subject to a civil fine of ten thousand dollars per violation, not to exceed a sum of one million dollars. The attorney general may maintain a civil action in a court of competent jurisdiction to recover such fines.

Acts 2025, No. 225, §2.
La. Rev. Stat. § 46:1941.3 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 46 / Section 1941.3
Definitions
Status: in_force

Words and terms used in this Part shall mean the following:

(1) Repealed by Acts 2004, No. 555, §2.

(2) "Youth" means a person seventeen years of age or younger.

Added by Acts 1978, No. 300, §1; Acts 1990, No. 696, §1; Acts 2004, No. 555, §2.
La. Rev. Stat. § 46:1066 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 46 / Section 1066
Federal and state aid
Status: in_force

Hospital service districts created hereunder shall have full power to do such things and enter into such contracts and agreements with the United States of America or with any state or federal agency or instrumentality as may be necessary to procure aids and grants to assist such districts in carrying out the purposes for which they are created.

Acts 1950, No. 420, §16.
La. Rev. Stat. § 46:1956 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 46 / Section 1956
Violation of rights; injury or interference with a service dog; penalties; civil action; damages; cost and attorney fees
Status: in_force

A. Any person, firm, or corporation, or the agent, representative, or employee of any person, firm, or corporation who withholds, denies, deprives, or attempts to withhold, deny, or deprive; intimidates, threatens, coerces, or attempts to threaten, intimidate, or coerce; punishes or attempts to punish a person with a disability or a trainer or puppy raiser of a service dog, during the training of such dog, or for exercising his right to be admitted to or enjoy the places and facilities provided in this Chapter; or otherwise interferes with the rights of a person with a disability under this Chapter shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and fined not less than one hundred dollars nor more than five hundred dollars or imprisoned for not more than six months, or both.

B. Any person who purposely or negligently injures a service dog or any owner of a dog who allows that dog to injure a service dog because he fails to control or leash the dog shall also be guilty of a misdemeanor and fined not less than one hundred dollars nor more than five hundred dollars or imprisoned for not more than six months, or both. Such person shall also be liable for any injuries to the service dog and, if necessary, the replacement and compensation for the loss of the service dog.

C. For every offense, such person shall pay for actual damages for any economic loss to any person aggrieved thereby, to be recovered in any court of competent jurisdiction in the parish where such offense was committed or where the aggrieved person resides.

D. In an action brought under this Section, the court may award costs and reasonable attorney's fee to the prevailing party.

Acts 1993, No. 482, §1; Acts 2014, No. 492, §1; Acts 2014, No. 811, §24, eff. June 23, 2014.

NOTE: Acts 1993, No. 763, §1 amended prior R.S. 46:1952(A), (B), and (C), 1953(D), and 1954 and enacted R.S. 46:1953(E). Acts 1993, No. 482, §1 amended and reenacted the entire Chapter. The Chapter appears as in Act No. 482. The Louisiana State Law Institute printed the provisions of Act No. 763 as a note at the head of this Chapter.
La. Rev. Stat. § 46:2165 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 46 / Section 2165
Louisiana Human Trafficking Prevention Commission
Status: in_force

A. The Louisiana Human Trafficking Prevention Commission is hereby created within the office of the governor and placed within the office of human trafficking prevention.

B. The commission shall do the following:

(1) Assist state and local leaders in developing and coordinating human trafficking prevention programs.

(2) Conduct a continuing comprehensive review of all existing public and private human trafficking victim assistance programs to identify gaps in prevention and intervention services.

(3) Increase coordination among public and private programs to strengthen prevention and intervention services.

(4) Make recommendations with respect to human trafficking prevention and intervention.

(5) Develop a state needs assessment and a comprehensive and integrated service delivery approach that meets the needs of all human trafficking victims.

(6) Establish a method to transition human trafficking victim assistance service providers toward evidence-based national best practices focusing on outreach and prevention.

(7) Develop a plan that ensures that Louisiana laws on human trafficking are properly implemented and provide training to law enforcement, the judiciary, and service providers.

(8) Review the statutory response to human trafficking, analyze the impact and effectiveness of strategies contained in Louisiana law, and make recommendations on legislation to further anti-trafficking efforts.

(9) Develop mechanisms to promote public awareness of human trafficking, including promotion of the national twenty-four-hour toll-free hotline telephone service on human trafficking.

(10) Promote training courses and other educational materials for use by persons required to undergo training on the handling of, and response procedures for, suspected human trafficking activities.

(11) Develop a framework to collect and integrate data and measure program outcomes.

(12) Receive reports and recommendations from the Human Trafficking Prevention Commission Advisory Board.

(13) Do all other things reasonably necessary to accomplish the purposes for which the commission is created.

C. In order to carry out its purposes and functions, the commission may request data and assistance from state departments and agencies. When the commission requests a state department or agency to provide needed data or assistance, the department or agency shall give priority to the request and shall provide the data or assistance as requested. The commission shall maintain the confidentiality of any information or records provided to it by state departments and agencies, as required by laws relative to such information and records.

D. The commission shall annually issue a report of its findings and recommendations to the governor, the speaker of the House of Representatives, and the president of the Senate. The commission shall issue its initial report on or before February 1, 2018, and shall issue annual reports no later than the first day of February each year thereafter. The report may include any recommendations for legislation that the commission deems necessary and appropriate. Legislation may be recommended by the commission only upon approval by a two-thirds vote of the commission members present.

Acts 2017, No. 181, §1, eff. June 12, 2017; Acts 2021, No. 352, §2, eff. June 17, 2021.
La. Rev. Stat. § 46:2702 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 46 / Section 2702
Definitions
Status: in_force

For the purposes of this Chapter, the following words and phrases shall have the meanings ascribed to them in this Section:

(1) "Child" means an individual who has not reached the age of eighteen years or otherwise been legally emancipated.

(2) "Child care facility" means a facility as defined in R.S. 46:1403(B) or a family child day care home or a group child day care home as defined in R.S. 46:1441.1.

(3) "Children's product" means a product, including but not limited to a full-size crib, non-full-size crib, toddler bed, bed, car seat, chair, high chair, booster chair, hook-on chair, bath seat, gate or other enclosure for confining a child, play yard, stationary activity center, carrier, stroller, walker, or infant swing that is designed or intended to come into contact with the child while the product is used. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Section, a product is not a "children's product" for purposes of this Chapter if either of the following applies:

(a) It may be used by or for the care of a child under six years old, but it is designed or intended for use by the general population or segments of the general population and not solely or primarily for use by a child or for the care of a child.

(b) It is a medication, drug, or food or is intended to be ingested.

(4) "Commercial user" means a person who deals in children's products or who holds himself out as having knowledge or skill relating to children's products, or a person who is in the business of remanufacturing, retrofitting, selling, leasing, subletting, or otherwise placing in the stream of commerce children's products.

(5) "Consumer protection section" means the office of the attorney general, public protection division, consumer protection section.

(6) "Crib" means a bed or containment designed to accommodate an infant.

(7) "Department" means the department responsible for issuing licenses or certificates of registration for child care facilities, as defined in this Section.

(8) "Full-size crib" means a full-size crib as defined in 16 CFR 1508.3, regarding the requirements for full-size cribs.

(9) "Non-full-size crib" means a non-full-size crib as defined in 16 CFR 1509.2, regarding the requirements for non-full-size cribs.

(10) "Person" means an individual, partnership, corporation, association, governmental entity, or other legal entity.

Acts 2001, No. 1164, §1; Acts 2018, No. 206, §5.
La. Rev. Stat. § 46:440.16 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 46 / Section 440.16
Contractor performance oversight; penalties; protections
Status: in_force

A. If more than twenty-five percent of the contractor's adverse determinations are overturned on appeal in any six-month period, then the House Committee on Health and Welfare and the Senate Committee on Health and Welfare, jointly, shall hold an oversight hearing to evaluate the contractor's performance and provide the medical assistance program with direction related to corrective action plans and future reevaluation of performance.

B. The department shall, with input from healthcare providers and in accordance with the Administrative Procedure Act, promulgate rules relative to appropriate and inappropriate determinations by recovery audit contractors, and to establish penalties and sanctions to be associated with inappropriate determinations by those contractors.

C. If the department or the hearing officer in a formal appeal finds that the recovery audit contractor's determination was unreasonable, frivolous, or without merit, then the contractor shall reimburse to the provider the provider's costs associated with the appeals process.

Acts 2014, No. 568, §1, eff. Aug. 15, 2014.
La. Rev. Stat. § 46:2721 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 46 / Section 2721
Intergovernmental transfers to school boards for administrative claims
Status: in_force

A.(1) All money which is received as a result of the intergovernmental transfer program provided in this Chapter shall be appropriated solely and exclusively for administrative claiming which is reimbursable under the federal Medicaid program.

(2) The Louisiana Department of Health shall retain, for reasonable costs incurred in preparing the application and for implementing and monitoring the intergovernmental transfer program established in this Chapter and to provide additional support to the Medicaid program, an amount equal to fifteen percent of the gross federal financial participation generated from the certification of funds by participating public entities.

(3) The remaining funds shall be transferred directly to reimburse public schools for certain costs which shall be based upon the actual costs of administrative outreach provided by the school districts on a pro rata basis.

B. The department shall be indemnified by either the subject school board, or by a single provider organization acting as agent for the school board, for any disallowances which are imposed by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services related to school-based administrative claims of the school board. Each school board, and each single provider organization which acts on behalf of a school board as approved by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, shall enter into a hold harmless agreement with the department. If the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services should impose a disallowance upon the department, the school board or its single provider organization shall indemnify the department through future payment recoupments or in a lump sum repayment, whichever is deemed appropriate by the department. This indemnification is limited to the amount of funds transferred to each entity pursuant to this Chapter.

Acts 2001, No. 776, §1, eff. June 26, 2001; Acts 2004, No. 660, §1, eff. July 1, 2004.
La. Rev. Stat. § 46:231.12 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 46 / Section 231.12
Employment, education, and related services for FITAP participants; responsibilities of the secretary, agencies, and participants
Status: in_force

A.(1) The department shall develop and implement STEP as the employment program for work-eligible recipients of cash assistance in accordance with the provisions of the Federal Welfare Reform Act. Louisiana Works may collaborate with the department to identify and coordinate employment services for the program.

(2) The employment services provided for in this Subsection may be delivered pursuant to performance-based contracts between the department and Louisiana Works, other government agencies, or any community partner. The services may include but shall not be limited to the following:

(a) Job readiness, job preparation, and job search.

(b) Workplace literacy and related assessments.

(c) Applicable skill-based training, employer-based training, and other employment activities designed to meet the needs of Louisiana employers with a preference towards demand occupations.

(d) Temporary and permanent job placements.

(e) Subsidized employment services.

(f) On-the-job training.

B. In order to receive cash assistance, an applicant who is work-eligible as defined in R.S. 46:231 shall fulfill each requirement set forth in his Family Success Agreement and shall participate in the employment program provided for in Subsection A of this Section.

C. Prior to receipt of cash assistance, a work-eligible participant shall be notified in writing of program expectations and participant responsibilities. When possible, notification may be delivered via e-mail or other electronic means, and notification delivered in this manner shall be deemed to satisfy the written notification requirement established in this Subsection.

D. Within the limits of appropriation therefor, the secretary shall establish and administer STEP, which shall include the allowable work activities as provided in the Federal Welfare Reform Act, for work-eligible recipients of FITAP.

E. Subject to appropriation, the department may provide support services and transitional services to facilitate progress by FITAP recipients toward self-sufficiency and sustainable employment.

F. The secretary shall promulgate in accordance with the Administrative Procedure Act any rules necessary to implement the provisions of this Section.

G. Repealed by Acts 2021, No. 209, §2, eff. June 11, 2021.

Acts 2013, No. 285, §1, eff. June 14, 2013; Acts 2021, No. 209, §§1, 2, eff. June 11, 2021.
La. Rev. Stat. § 46:1414.1 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 46 / Section 1414.1
State central registry
Status: in_force

A. Any owner, operator, current or prospective employee, or volunteer of a specialized provider requesting licensure or licensed by the Department of Children and Family Services is prohibited from being employed by the specialized provider if that individual's name is recorded on the state central registry as a perpetrator for a substantiated finding of abuse or neglect of a child.

B. If the individual's name is or was entered on the state central registry, that individual may make a formal written request to the division of administrative law for an administrative appeal of the justified determination, in accordance with Children's Code Article 616.1.1 and the procedures promulgated by the department.

C. The department shall promulgate, in accordance with the Administrative Procedure Act, all rules and regulations necessary to implement the provisions of this Section.

D., E. Repealed by Acts 2017, No. 348, §5, special eff. date.

Acts 2009, No. 388, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 2010; Acts 2014, No. 868, §5, eff. Oct. 1, 2014; Acts 2016, No. 502, §1; Acts 2017, No. 348, §§3, 5, special eff. date; Acts 2025, No. 409, §6.
La. Rev. Stat. § 46:1813 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 46 / Section 1813
Emergency awards
Status: in_force

A. If it appears to the board prior to its taking action on a claim that an award likely will be made and that undue hardship will result to the claimant if no immediate economic relief is provided, the board may make an emergency award to the claimant pending its final decision in the case. The amount of an emergency award shall not exceed one thousand dollars.

B. The amount of any emergency award shall be deducted from any final award made to the claimant receiving the emergency award. The claimant shall repay to the board the excess of the emergency award over the final award, or the full amount if no final award is made. However, the board may waive all or part of the repayment if in its judgment repayment would cause severe financial hardship.

Added by Acts 1982, No. 250, §1, eff. July 17, 1982; Acts 2022, No. 487, §2.
La. Rev. Stat. § 46:236.9 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 46 / Section 236.9
Collection of child support; cooperative program
Status: in_force

A. In addition to other remedies provided in this Subpart, if a defendant violates the terms of a court order, issued pursuant to the provisions of R.S. 46:236.1.1 et seq., 236.2, R.S. 13:4241 and Children's Code Article 1301 et seq. requiring him to pay child support, the delinquency may be reported to the Department of Revenue. Such a report shall be deemed a referral for collection of delinquent child support.

B. When a delinquency is referred to the Department of Revenue, hereinafter referred to in this Section as the "department", pursuant to the provisions of this Section, the amount of child support due, and any accrued interest and costs shall be collected from the obligated parent by the department in any manner authorized by law, and as specifically provided in Part III of Chapter 18 of Subtitle II of Title 47 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes. All funds generated from the collection efforts shall be remitted periodically to the Department of Children and Family Services for distribution as provided by law for collected child support payments. However, the department shall be entitled to any allowable federal reimbursement, and to fifty percent of any fees or payments that would ordinarily be due to the Department of Children and Family Services for the collection made, except for incentives.

C. The department shall treat the delinquency referral in the same manner as an assessment that has become final without restriction or delay. Thus, the department need only give the obligated parent notice that he has sixty days within which to pay the delinquent amount, and inform the parent of the department's intent to use the various collection means available under law in its collection efforts after the expiration of the sixty day period, including the filing of liens, and invoking of distraint proceedings.

D. If the official acting on behalf of the department finds that an obligated parent is undertaking acts that tend to prejudice or render wholly or partly ineffectual, any efforts to collect the payments due, the department shall act immediately to institute collection measures without necessity of the sixty-day delay.

E. The referred child support delinquency shall be final and due and payable, however, no expenses or fees incurred by the department in the collection shall be the obligation of the already obligated parent.

F. Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, upon the request of the secretary of the department, any employer or payor of any income to the obligated parent shall provide to the department verification of employment or payment and the address and social security number of such parent. All such information shall remain confidential except as used for the purposes of this Section. Likewise, upon the request of the secretary, a financial institution shall disclose information concerning funds and other assets on deposit belonging to the obligated parent subject to notice required by law.

G. In the event the collection action would cause undue hardship to the obligated parent, would threaten the health or welfare of his family, or would cause irreparable loss, the obligated parent may so notify the secretary. In such case, the secretary may, in his discretion, refer the receipt of such information to the secretary of the Department of Children and Family Services, who shall determine whether to halt the department's collection procedures.

H. Should the use of collection procedures pursuant to the provisions of this Section result in the overpayment of a liability, the obligated parent shall be entitled to an offset as to additional child support responsibility, or to a refund. However, in no case shall the department be liable for damages due to an overpayment, or for any effort undertaken in the collection process that does not constitute a willful and wanton act.

I. A child support delinquency referred to under these provisions shall have the same priority against attachment, execution, assignment and other collection action as is provided for child support payments by law.

J. For the collection of any child support delinquency from an obligated parent who is out of state, the department is authorized to utilize the procedures and mechanisms currently available for collection of taxes owed from out-of-state taxpayers. To this end, the child support delinquency shall be considered a final assessment as to an out-of-state obligated parent, and the department may seek reciprocal agreements with other states, and may share information with the United States Internal Revenue Service in an effort to improve collections.

K. The Department of Revenue and the Department of Children and Family Services are hereby authorized to promulgate rules and regulations as may be necessary to effectuate the provisions of this Section, and to enter into interagency agreements as necessary.

Acts 1995, No. 894, §1; Acts 2003, No. 1068, §9, eff. July 2, 2003.
La. Rev. Stat. § 46:2195 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 46 / Section 2195
Limitations on manufacturer; remote access suspension request
Status: in_force

A motor vehicle manufacturer may not do any of the following in order to disable the remote access technology:

(1) Require the survivor to pay a fee or any outstanding fines owed by the abuser.

(2) Contact the abuser after the survivor submits a complete remote access suspension request.

Acts 2025, No. 225, §2.
La. Rev. Stat. § 46:106 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 46 / Section 106
Grant of assistance
Status: in_force

A. Upon the completion of the investigation, the department shall decide whether the applicant is eligible for assistance and shall determine the amount and the date on which the assistance shall begin. It shall make an award which shall be binding until the award is modified or vacated. The department shall notify the applicant of its decision in writing.

B. All grants of assistance shall be mailed so as to reasonably assure that they will be received on the date due. If the due date falls on a weekend or a holiday, then the grant shall be mailed so as to reasonably assure its receipt on the last regular banking date immediately preceding the due date.

Amended by Acts 1978, No. 786, §6, eff. July 17, 1978; Acts 1981, No. 571, §1.
La. Rev. Stat. § 46:460.84 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 46 / Section 460.84
Costs
Status: in_force

A. The fee for conducting an independent review shall be paid to the independent reviewer by the managed care organization; except that for reviews conducted in accordance with R.S. 46:460.90, a dental coordinated care network shall pay the fee for an independent review to the Louisiana State University School of Dentistry. A provider shall, within ten days of the date of the decision of the independent reviewer, reimburse a managed care organization for the fee associated with conducting an independent review when the decision of the managed care organization is upheld. If the provider fails to submit payment for the independent review within ten days from the date of the decision, the managed care organization may withhold future payments to the provider in an amount equal to the cost of the independent review; however, the managed care organization shall ensure that such a withholding is clearly delineated on the remittance advice. If a provider fails to properly reimburse the managed care organization, the department may prohibit that provider from future participation in the independent review process.

B. The managed care organization shall compensate the independent reviewer within thirty calendar days of receipt by the managed care organization of the reviewer's bill for services rendered. If the managed care organization fails to pay the bill for the independent reviewer's services, then the reviewer may request payment directly from the department from any funds held by the state that are payable to the managed care organization.

C. The fee for an independent review of a dental claim conducted in accordance with R.S. 46:460.90 shall be paid in an amount established in a contract or memorandum of understanding between the department and the Louisiana State University School of Dentistry.

Acts 2017, No. 349, §2; Acts 2018, No. 284, §1.
La. Rev. Stat. § 46:1847 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 46 / Section 1847
Comprehensive victims' services system; legislative findings; intent; purpose
Status: in_force

A. The legislature hereby recognizes that the state of Louisiana has created numerous rights and duties to be afforded to crime victims, witnesses, and designated family members. The legislature further recognizes the challenges of fulfilling those rights and duties through numerous law enforcement and other state and local entities.

B. Accordingly, the legislature hereby finds and declares that, in order to ensure to the greatest extent possible that the rights and duties afforded to crime victims and witnesses are upheld, the state of Louisiana is committed to the creation, consolidation, and coordination of a comprehensive victims' services system. This system shall provide the information and services described in the Crime Victims' Bill of Rights and R.S. 46:1844 to crime victims and witnesses at all relevant points throughout the life cycle of a case moving through the criminal justice system in a timely, consistent, and easily understandable manner. This system shall be created and administered by the Department of Public Safety and Corrections (the department), which shall coordinate with and provide assistance to prosecutors and law enforcement agencies utilizing the systems, processes, standards, and guidelines implemented by the department. The department shall create this system in conjunction with the Integrated Criminal Justice Information System Policy Board (ICJIS) and all such component parts of this system shall be created in conformity with the requirements set forth in R.S. 15:1228.10. The system shall be created and in operation no later than July 1, 2026.

C. The legislature recognizes that the creation and implementation of a comprehensive victims' services system requires the input, coordination, and cooperation of relevant stakeholders responsible for providing services to crime victims and witnesses and urges relevant stakeholders to work collaboratively to create and implement this comprehensive victims' services system as expeditiously as possible.

Acts 2025, No. 370, §2, eff. June 20, 2025.
La. Rev. Stat. § 46:325 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 46 / Section 325
Duties of customers
Status: in_force

Each customer in the program shall do all of the following:

(1) At the time of redetermination of eligibility for SNAP benefits, provide to the department all requested documentation of participation in a workforce training or education program.

(2) Comply with all other requirements for receipt of SNAP benefits as set forth by the department.

Acts 2014, No. 622, §1; Acts 2025, No. 478, §12, eff. Oct. 1, 2025.
La. Rev. Stat. § 46:1817 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 46 / Section 1817
Notification to potential applicants
Status: in_force

A.(1) Every hospital licensed under the laws of this state shall display prominently in its emergency room posters giving notification of the existence of the crime victims reparations program. The board shall set standards for the location of the display and shall provide posters and general information regarding this Chapter to each hospital.

(2) Every hospital and healthcare provider licensed under the laws of this state shall make available to hospitals and healthcare providers a pamphlet containing an explanation of the billing process for services rendered pursuant to the provisions of R.S. 40:1300.41.

B. Application forms provided by the board shall be made available to individuals upon request at the parish sheriff's office.

C. The failure of any hospital, law enforcement agency, or agent or employee thereof to comply with the requirements of this Section shall not give rise to a cause of action by any person against such hospital, law enforcement agency or agent or employee thereof; nor shall such failure in any way affect the time limitations provided for in this Chapter.

Acts 1983, No. 160, §1. Acts 1984, No. 844, §2, eff. July 13, 1984; Acts 1995, No. 421, §1; Acts 2015, No. 229, §4, eff. June 23, 2015.
La. Rev. Stat. § 46:1064 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 46 / Section 1064
Districts as political subdivisions; acquisition of land and physical facilities; special maintenance taxes; incurring debt; bonds; audits
Status: in_force

A. The hospital service districts as defined in R.S. 46:1072 are hereby declared to be political subdivisions of the state, and for the purpose of purchasing and acquiring lands and purchasing, acquiring, constructing and maintaining hospitals, nursing homes, physicians and dentists offices, laboratories, and other physical facilities necessary to carry out the purposes of this Chapter. Title to such land and physical facilities shall be in the public. Such districts shall be subdivisions of the state of Louisiana within the meaning of the laws of Louisiana relating to the voting and levy of special maintenance taxes incurring debt and issuing bonds therefor, including particularly but without limitation R.S. 39:504.1, 515-518, 551-571, 575-577, 611-617, 701-706, and 911, and shall be authorized to issue hospital revenue bonds pursuant to R.S. 39:559.1 and 1011-1024, and as otherwise permitted by law. Hospital service districts are hereby further authorized to issue bonds pursuant to the foregoing to refund outstanding bonded indebtedness whether issued by such hospital service district or by another political subdivision of the state on behalf of such hospital service district or in respect of any hospital facilities owned or operated by any such hospital service district.

B. Each district shall cause to be conducted annually, by a duly qualified certified public accountant, an audit and examination of its books and accounts, said audit to be filed with the legislative auditor within six months after the close of the period audited. The legislative auditor shall have the authority to prescribe the terms and conditions of any such audit conducted by a certified public accountant and to require the district to present said terms and conditions to him for approval prior to the commencement of said audit. The legislative auditor shall have access to the working papers of the accountant during the examination and subsequent to its termination. The legislative auditor is authorized to conduct an independent audit and examination of the books and accounts of any hospital service district pursuant to R.S. 24:513.

Acts 1950, No. 420, §14. Acts 1983, No. 93, §1; Acts 1987, No. 481, §1.
La. Rev. Stat. § 46:1848 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 46 / Section 1848
Crime Victims' Bill of Rights
Status: in_force

A.(1) The legislature hereby finds and declares the urgent need to establish a comprehensive Crime Victims' Bill of Rights. A bill of rights, written in plain language and collected in one place, is vital for crime victims, witnesses, and designated family members to be able to know and understand the rights and duties to which the state of Louisiana affords to them and to ensure that they receive the support, protection, and justice that they deserve.

(2) Subsection C of this Section shall be known and may be cited as the "Crime Victims' Bill of Rights".

B.(1) Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, nothing in this Section shall be construed to negate, impair, diminish, or limit any other rights or duties afforded to crime victims, witnesses, and designated family members in any other provision of law.

(2) Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, a defendant or person accused or convicted of a crime for which a crime victim, witness, or designated family member is afforded any rights or duties within this Section does not have standing to seek to have their conviction or sentence set aside for any violation of the Crime Victims' Bill of Rights.

C. A crime victim or designated family member, as defined in this Chapter, shall have the following rights:

(1) The right to receive emergency, social, or medical services as soon as possible and to receive a Victim Notice and Registration Form from law enforcement as provided in R.S. 46:1844(A)(1).

(2) The right to be notified of the following: the defendant's arrest, release on recognizance, posting of bond, release pending charges being filed or due to rejection of charges by the prosecutor, escape, or re-apprehension as provided in R.S. 46:1844(A)(3) and (Z).

(3) The right to receive advance notification of, and to be present for, judicial proceedings or probation hearings as provided in R.S. 46:1844(B).

(4) The right, subject to reasonable efforts by the prosecutor prior to trial, to be interviewed by the prosecutor regarding the facts of the case and requests for restitution as provided in R.S. 46:1844(C).

(5) The right for such interviews to be conducted in a private setting, with access if requested to a victim advocate, social worker, or psychologist for support as provided in R.S. 46:1844(C).

(6) The right to refuse requests for interviews with the defense attorney as provided in R.S. 46:1844(C)(3).

(7) The right to retain the victim's or designated family member's own legal counsel for discussions with the district attorney and judicial agencies as provided in R.S. 46:1844(D)(1).

(8) The right to request, orally or in writing, a conference with the prosecutor's office to discuss the disposition of the case by dismissal, plea, or trial, the use of sentencing alternatives, and requests for payment of restitution to the victim as provided in R.S. 46:1844(D)(2).

(9) The right to assistance in informing employers that the participation of the victim and designated family member in the prosecution of the case may necessitate absence from work as provided in R.S. 46:1844(E).

(10) The right to be notified of scheduling changes as provided in R.S. 46:1844(F).

(11) The right to a secure waiting area during court proceedings away from the defendant or the family of the defendant as provided in R.S. 46:1844(G).

(12) The right to review and comment on pre-sentence or post-sentence reports as provided in R.S. 46:1844(H).

(13) The right to protection by all rules and laws governing criminal procedure and the admissibility of evidence applicable to criminal proceedings as provided in R.S. 46:1844(I).

(14) The right to a speedy disposition and prompt and final conclusion of the case after conviction and sentencing as provided in R.S. 46:1844(J).

(15) The right to be present and heard at all critical stages of the proceedings, including the right to make a written or oral victim impact statement as provided in R.S. 46:1844(K)(1).

(16) The right to request that the victim impact statement be sealed for privacy concerns as provided in R.S. 46:1844(K)(2).

(17) The right to be provided with notice from the court of the minimum and maximum sentence allowed by law and the opportunity to comment on the proposed sentence as provided in R.S. 46:1844(K)(3).

(18) The right to have property of the victim returned as provided in R.S. 46:1844(L).

(19) The right to seek restitution or payment from the defendant to the victim or the family of the victim, with no court filing fees as provided in R.S. 46:1844(M).

(20) For death penalty cases, the right to notification of execution details and the right to be present as provided in R.S. 46:1844(N).

(21) For death penalty cases, the right to not be contacted by the offender or supporters or representatives of the offender as provided in R.S. 46:1844(Y).

(22) The right to be notified of a parole hearing and to make written or oral victim impact statements, including proposed contact and proximity restrictions that may be included as parole conditions, for the protection of the victim as provided in R.S. 46:1844(O).

(23) The right to confidentiality, and to prevent the release of the name, address, contact information or identity of the victim, if the victim is a minor, victim of a sex offense, or victim of a human trafficking offense as provided in R.S. 46:1844(W).

(24) For all victims of violent crime, the right to request and obtain a copy of their initial police report at no cost to them as provided in R.S. 46:1844(X).

D. A witness or a designated family member, as defined in this Chapter, shall have the following rights:

(1) The right to receive emergency, social, or medical services as soon as possible and to receive a Victim Notice and Registration Form from law enforcement as provided in R.S. 46:1844(A)(1).

(2) The right to be notified of the following: release, discharge of sentence, escape, or reapprehension as provided in R.S. 46:1844(N)(2) and (3).

(3) The right to assistance in informing employers that the participation of the witness or designated family member in the prosecution of the case may necessitate absence from work as provided in R.S. 46:1844(E).

(4) The right to be notified of scheduling changes as provided in R.S. 46:1844(F).

(5) The right to a secure waiting area during court proceedings away from the defendant or the family of the defendant as provided in R.S. 46:1844(G).

Acts 2025, No. 370, §2, eff. June 20, 2025.
La. Rev. Stat. § 46:2591 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 46 / Section 2591
Creation; personnel
Status: in_force

The office of the state Americans with Disabilities Act coordinator is hereby created as a state agency within the office of the governor, division of administration. The office shall exercise the powers and duties set forth in this Chapter and otherwise provided by law. The office shall be administered by an executive director who shall have the title of, and is referred to hereafter in this Chapter as, state ADA coordinator. The state ADA coordinator shall be in the classified state civil service and shall employ staff as necessary to carry out the duties of the office.

Acts 2021, No. 452, §2.
La. Rev. Stat. § 46:1 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 46 / Section 1
Definitions
Status: in_force

As used in this Title, the following definitions shall apply:

(1) "Assistance" means money payments under this Title.

NOTE: Paragraph (2) eff. until Oct. 1, 2027. See Acts 2025, No. 478.

(2) "Department" means the Department of Children and Family Services or the Louisiana Department of Health.

NOTE: Paragraph (2) as amended by Acts 2025, No. 478, eff. Oct. 1, 2027.

(2) "Department" means the Department of Children and Family Services, Louisiana Works, or Louisiana Department of Health.

(3) "Parish director" means the director of the parish or district office.

NOTE: Paragraph (4) eff. until Oct. 1, 2027. See Acts 2025, No. 478.

(4) "Parish or district office" means parish or district office of the Department of Children and Family Services or the Louisiana Department of Health.

NOTE: Paragraph (4) as amended by Acts 2025, No. 478, eff. Oct. 1, 2027.

(4) "Parish or district office" means parish or district office of the Department of Children and Family Services, Louisiana Works, or Louisiana Department of Health.

(5) "Recipient" means the person who has received assistance under this Title.

NOTE: Paragraph (6) eff. until Oct. 1, 2027. See Acts 2025, No. 478.

(6) "Secretary" means the secretary of the Department of Children and Family Services or the Louisiana Department of Health.

NOTE: Paragraph (6) as amended by Acts 2025, No. 478, eff. Oct. 1, 2027.

(6) "Secretary" means the secretary of the Department of Children and Family Services, Louisiana Works, or Louisiana Department of Health.

Amended by Acts 1978, No. 786, §6, eff. July 17, 1978; H.C.R. No. 59, 1999 R.S; Acts 2025, No. 478, §13, eff. Oct. 1, 2027.
La. Rev. Stat. § 46:2758.1 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 46 / Section 2758.1
Legislative findings
Status: in_force

A. The legislature finds that:

(1) A significant number of youths involved in the juvenile justice system are in need of mental health services or have experienced involvement in the child welfare system. These youths are often referred to as "crossover youths" as they receive services from multiple agencies.

(2) Research has shown that a single, targeted case management system can better track "crossover youths" from system to system, target services to those youths, and assist in lowering recidivism, out-of-home placements, and potential adult incarceration.

(3) In 2011, Louisiana created the Coordinated System of Care to better leverage the monies flowing into juvenile mental health services for youths with severe disturbances. Opportunities exist and should be pursued for greater collaboration and sharing of information across all systems to benefit such youths.

(4) A complete continuum of care for at-risk youths will reduce the number of youths who enter into the juvenile and criminal justice systems, improve access to treatment and rehabilitative services for youths currently involved in the system, and reduce recidivism by:

(a) Improving coordination and access to programs focusing on prevention and early intervention.

(b) Improving access to treatment, rehabilitation, and educational services to youths currently involved in multiple systems in Louisiana.

(c) Developing a mechanism for youths exiting the juvenile justice and child welfare systems to obtain the educational and workforce training necessary to ensure that such youths exit as self-sufficient, productive young adults who are less likely to be reliant on social services or enter the adult correctional system.

B. A comprehensive and integrated delivery system of case management for at-risk youths should be developed to ensure that every at-risk youth has access to the appropriate resources to become a self-sufficient and productive adult.

Acts 2013, No. 214, §1.
La. Rev. Stat. § 46:2139 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 46 / Section 2139
Other relief not affected
Status: in_force

The granting of any relief authorized under this Part shall not preclude any other relief authorized by law.

Added by Acts 1982, No. 782, §2.
La. Rev. Stat. § 46:2168 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 46 / Section 2168
Human Trafficking Prevention Commission Advisory Board
Status: in_force

A. The Human Trafficking Prevention Commission Advisory Board, hereinafter referred to as "advisory board", is hereby created. The purpose of the advisory board shall be to provide information and recommendations from the perspective of advocacy groups, service providers, and victims. Primary responsibilities of the Human Trafficking Prevention Commission Advisory Board are the following:

(1) To ensure information sharing between governmental and nongovernmental entities serving victims of human trafficking.

(2) To make recommendations to the Human Trafficking Prevention Commission as requested by the commission.

(3) To make recommendations to the Human Trafficking Prevention Commission as determined to be necessary by the advisory board.

(4) To make recommendations by August thirty-first of each year to the Human Trafficking Prevention Commission as to the budget priorities for the coming year.

(5) To make recommendations by November thirtieth of each year to the Human Trafficking Prevention Commission as to specific budget items to be supported in the Children's Budget.

(6) To make an annual report by January thirty-first of each year to the legislature, Senate Committee on Health and Welfare, the House Committee on Health and Welfare, Select Committee on Women and Children, and any other legislative committee requesting a copy of the annual report, which shall summarize the well-being of Louisiana's children, the accomplishments of the past year, and specific goals and priorities for the next fiscal year.

B. The advisory board shall be composed of the following members appointed by the governor:

(1) A public defender nominated by the Louisiana Public Defender Board or its designee.

(2) A member nominated by the Louisiana District Attorneys Association.

(3) A member nominated by the Louisiana Association of Juvenile and Family Court Judges.

(4) A member nominated by the Louisiana Chapter, American College of Emergency Physicians.

(5) A member nominated by the Louisiana Chapter, National Association of Social Workers.

(6) An individual with expertise in advocacy for adult victims of human trafficking.

(7) The executive director of a residential program for victims of human trafficking.

(8) The executive director of a direct service program for victims of human trafficking.

(9) An individual with expertise in advocacy for child victims of human trafficking, nominated by the executive director of the Children's Cabinet or his designee.

(10) At least two individuals who are adult survivors of human trafficking, nominated by nonprofit organizations serving victims.

(11) A member nominated by Prevent Child Abuse Louisiana.

(12) A member nominated by the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Advisory Board.

(13) A member nominated by the Louisiana Families In Need of Services Association.

(14) A member nominated by LouisianaChildren.org.

(15) A member nominated by the Louisiana Association of Nonprofit Organizations.

(16) A member with experience related to exploitation, nominated by the Louisiana Council of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry or its designee.

(17) A member nominated by the Louisiana School Counselors Association.

(18) A member nominated by the Louisiana Association of Children and Family Agencies.

(19) A member nominated by Louisiana Children's Advocacy Centers.

(20) A licensed psychologist with experience related to exploitation, nominated by the Louisiana State Board of Examiners of Psychologists.

(21) A member nominated by the Foundation Against Sexual Assault.

(22) A member nominated by the Louisiana Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics or its designee.

C. Each member shall serve for a term concurrent with that of the governor. All members shall serve without compensation.

D. The advisory board shall be invited to all commission meetings and may participate in its discussions but shall have no vote on any matter brought before the commission.

E. The advisory board shall elect as officers a chairperson, vice chairperson, and secretary from its membership and shall meet as needed. The advisory board shall create its own bylaws. Unless the bylaws provide for a greater quorum requirement, the presence in person or by proxy of one-third of the members who have been appointed by the governor shall constitute a quorum at the meetings of the advisory board.

F. The advisory board may appoint from time to time, to serve at its pleasure, additional members to serve on matters about which such additional members have expertise or experience. In the consideration of those matters for which an additional member is appointed, he shall have the same powers and duties during the period of his service as are enjoyed by the membership provided by Subsection B of this Section.

Acts 2017, No. 181, §1, eff. June 12, 2017.
La. Rev. Stat. § 46:233.4 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 46 / Section 233.4
Verification of citizenship of applicants for public benefits
Status: in_force

A. Except as prohibited by federal law, a state agency or political subdivision shall verify that each applicant who applies for federal, state, or local public benefit is a person who has been recognized as a citizen of the United States by birthright, naturalization, or any other method provided for under applicable federal law or has satisfactory immigration status as a qualified alien as defined in 8 U.S.C. 1641(b).

B. For an applicant claiming United States citizenship or satisfactory immigration status under 8 U.S.C. 1641(b), the state agency or political subdivision shall make every reasonable effort to ascertain verification of the applicant's citizenship or immigration status.

C. Upon the termination of any reasonable opportunity period to verify citizenship status or receipt of a final verification that indicates that the applicant is not a United States citizen or lacks satisfactory immigration status and has entered the United States without inspection or admission or remained beyond the expiration of his authorized period of stay, the state agency or political subdivision shall:

(1) Refer the applicant's information, including unsatisfactory immigration status, to United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

(2) Provide a monthly report compiling the information pursuant to Paragraph (1) of this Subsection to the secretary of state for voter list maintenance purposes.

(3) Terminate any recurring federal, state, or local public benefits as defined in Subsection E of this Section.

D. A state agency or political subdivision that administers federal or state public benefits shall report at the end of each fiscal year to the president of the Senate, speaker of the House of Representatives, governor, and David R. Poynter Legislative Research Library on the results of the citizenship verification requirements of this Section. The report shall include but not be limited to the number of individuals reported to United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the number of individuals who had public assistance terminated in accordance with this Section.

E. For the purposes of this Section, a federal, state, or local public benefit shall include any retirement, welfare, health, disability, public or assisted housing, food assistance, unemployment benefit, or any other similar benefit for which payments or assistance are provided to an individual, household, or family eligibility unit by an agency of the United States, this state, or a political subdivision of this state or by appropriated funds of the United States, this state, or a political subdivision of this state.

F. For purposes of any benefits paid by any public pension or retirement system, fund, or plan, the verification of a public employee's United States citizenship or satisfactory immigration status at the time of their enrollment in a public pension or retirement system, fund, or plan shall satisfy the verification requirements of Subsection A of this Section.

Acts 2025, No. 351, §1.
La. Rev. Stat. § 46:236.1.2 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 46 / Section 236.1.2
Family and child support programs; responsibilities
Status: in_force

A. The department is hereby authorized to develop and implement a program of family support in FITAP cases, Title IV-E Foster Care cases, Medicaid-only cases, and any other category of cases to which the state is required by federal law or regulation to provide services, designed to do the following:

(1) Enforce, collect, and distribute the support obligation owed by any person to his child or children and to his spouse or former spouse with whom the child is living if a support obligation has been established with respect to such spouse or former spouse.

(2) Locate absent parents.

(3) Establish paternity.

(4) Obtain and modify family and child support orders.

(5) Obtain and modify medical support orders.

B.(1) In addition, as required by federal law, the department shall provide the above services to any individual including absent or noncustodial parents not otherwise eligible for such services as provided for in Subsection A of this Section upon receiving an application from such individual and upon receiving any fee which may be assessed by the department for the services, regardless of whether the individual has ever received public assistance and regardless of whether there is a delinquency.

(2) The department is hereby authorized to develop and implement a program of access and visitation designed to support and facilitate noncustodial parent's access to and visitation of their children. The program may include mediation, counseling, education, development of parenting plans, visitation enforcement, and development of guidelines for visitation and alternative custody arrangements. The program should also encourage and enable both parents to stay emotionally involved with their child or children.

C. The department may enforce, collect, and distribute medical support orders notwithstanding the absence of a specific provision in the child support order as to the amount of medical support to be paid.

D.(1) The department, except when it is not in the best interest of the child, may without the necessity of written assignment, subrogation, tutorship proceedings, or divorce proceedings take direct civil action, including actions to establish filiation against an alleged biological parent notwithstanding the existence of a legal presumption that another person is the parent of the child solely for the purpose of fulfilling its responsibility under this Section, in any court of competent jurisdiction, to obtain an order, judgment, or agreement of support against the responsible person in any case in which the department is providing services under this Subpart. The amount of such support shall be set only by order of the court or by the consent of the parties, but in either case the department shall be designated as payee. Additionally, the department may take direct action to modify an order or judgment of support, including actions to increase or decrease support, in any case in which the department is providing services pursuant to this Subpart. A separate and distinct cause of action in favor of the department is hereby created, and suits brought under this provision need not be ancillary to or dependent upon any other legal proceeding.

(2) In cases where the department is providing support enforcement services, if the name of the father appears on the birth certificate of the child, the department may proceed to establish a court order for child support and medical support against the father whose name does appear on the birth certificate without the need to establish paternity in accordance with Civil Code Article 197.

E. The department shall enter into an agreement with a financial institution to develop and operate a data match system, using automated data exchange to the maximum extent feasible.

F. If the district attorney neglects or refuses to file a proceeding to establish filiation against an alleged biological parent, the department may file the ex parte motion.

G. In any case in which the department is providing services under this Subpart to obtain an order, judgment, or agreement of support or to recoup support payments against the responsible person, the court shall not cancel any accrued arrearages unless the department, through the CSE administrator, has determined that there is no reasonable possibility of collecting the arrearages.

H. In addition to any other legal remedies provided by law, the department shall take all steps necessary to implement and utilize procedures for collection of past due support from federal tax refunds by sending notice to the federal secretary of the treasury that a person owes past due support which has been assigned to the department as a condition of eligibility or in a case where the department is providing services as provided in Subsection B of this Section. The department shall comply with all rules and regulations imposed by the secretary of the treasury and by the federal secretary of health and human services, including payment of any fee assessed by the secretary of the treasury for the cost of applying the offset procedure. As used in this Part, "past due support" means the amount of a delinquency, determined under a court order under state law for support and maintenance of a child, or of a child and the parent with whom the child is living. A court in a civil proceeding has jurisdiction to render a judgment for past due support which has accrued under a civil court order for support and also has limited jurisdiction to render a judgment for past due support which has accrued under any criminal or juvenile court order for support pursuant to an assignment of support rights during any period in which there was no outstanding civil court order for support and, effective August 13, 1981, such a support obligation is not released by a discharge in bankruptcy under Title 11, United States Code.

I. In providing support services required by Title IV-D of the Social Security Act in cases provided for in Subsection A of this Section, the department may provide for application and other fees to be charged each individual who is receiving services from the department or any individual who owes a duty of support. The fees shall comply with any applicable federal laws, rules, and regulations and may not exceed the maximum set by federal laws, rules, and regulations or the actual costs incurred by the department in providing the support services, whichever is less.

J. The department, in conjunction with the administrator of Louisiana Works, shall take all steps necessary to implement and utilize procedures for collection of child support payments from unemployment compensation benefits, pursuant to R.S. 23:1600(8) and 1693. The department shall determine on a periodic basis, from information supplied to it pursuant to the federal unemployment statute, 29 U.S.C. 49(b), whether any persons receiving compensation under the state's unemployment compensation law, including amounts payable pursuant to any agreement under any federal unemployment compensation law, owe child support obligations which are being enforced by the department. The department may enforce any such obligation which is not being met by the person through a written agreement with the person to have specified amounts withheld from compensation benefits otherwise payable to the person and by submitting a copy of the agreement to the administrator of Louisiana Works or, in the absence of such an agreement, by using legal means to require the withholding of specified amounts from the unemployment compensation benefits to apply toward satisfaction of the support obligation, provided that in either case the maximum amount of withholding shall not exceed the amount specified in the garnishment statute, R.S. 13:3881. However, if the amount deducted and withheld is less than the amount of the support obligation, the balance is not discharged and shall remain an outstanding debt of the person. The department shall comply with all rules and regulations imposed by the administrator of Louisiana Works, including payment of any fee assessed to reimburse that office for the administrative costs incurred in applying the withholding procedure.

K. The department shall require private collection agencies which handle any portion of a case authorized by Subsection A of this Section to comply with the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, 15 U.S.C. 1692 et seq. and the Federal Trade Commission Act, 15 U.S.C. 42 et seq.

L.(1)(a) The department, when providing support enforcement services, shall pursue an order to require one or both parties to provide medical support for the child pursuant to R.S. 9:315.4. If private health insurance is not available to either parent at a reasonable cost at the time the support order is rendered or modified, the court shall order the party responsible for providing medical support to provide private health insurance as soon as it becomes available at a reasonable cost and is accessible to the minor child.

(b) The court may order the noncustodial parent to pay cash medical support when either:

(i) The child has no healthcare coverage.

(ii) The child is covered by private health insurance but there is a need for additional funds to cover the child's healthcare costs.

(c) Notwithstanding any provision to the contrary, the court shall order the noncustodial parent to pay cash medical support when the child is covered by public health insurance.

(2) When the court orders the noncustodial parent to provide cash medical support, it shall be owed until such time as private health insurance is provided by the party responsible for providing medical support.

(3) Cash medical support shall be set at an amount not to exceed three percent of the noncustodial parent's gross income. An award for cash medical support shall be separate from the child support order and shall not be included in the child support calculations.

(4) Cash medical support payments shall be collected by the department and distributed in accordance with the Code of Federal Regulations and the Louisiana Administrative Code.

(5) If a court orders a parent to pay cash medical support, it shall be in lieu of, and not in addition to, requiring the parent to also pay reimbursement for extraordinary medical expenses as set forth in R.S. 9:315.5.

Acts 2003, No. 86, §1; Acts 2003, No. 632, §1; Acts 2003, No. 1068, §2, eff. July 2, 2003; Acts 2004, No. 380, §1, eff. June 23, 2004; Acts 2010, No. 238, §4; Acts 2010, No. 299, §1; Acts 2012, No. 255, §7; Acts 2016, No. 253, §2; Acts 2018, No. 166, §1, eff. May 15, 2018; Acts 2018, No. 206, §5; Acts 2022, No. 271, §5.
La. Rev. Stat. § 46:974 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 46 / Section 974
Louisiana Prenatal Counseling system
Status: in_force

A. The Louisiana Department of Health, office of public health, shall coordinate and utilize where practicable the educational, health, and supportive services adopted by the adolescent pregnancy and pregnancy prevention program, pursuant to R.S. 46:973.

B. The department shall maintain a toll free telephone number accessible throughout the state and publish information as to its availability, to advise pregnant women on the existence and availability of counseling services under this program.

C. The department is authorized to adopt all regulations deemed necessary in order to effectuate the provisions of this Chapter.

Acts 1990, No. 731, §1.
La. Rev. Stat. § 46:2128 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 46 / Section 2128
Eligibility requirements for local family violence programs
Status: in_force

A. In order to receive monies, a program shall have the primary purpose of providing assistance to victims of family violence, be locally administered by a public or private nonprofit organization, and provide or demonstrate to the office that it can provide services that include but are not limited to the following:

(1) Counseling for victims or their spouses.

(2) Around-the-clock shelter which provides safe refuge and temporary lodging for victims of family violence and their minor, unmarried children, or referral to such a shelter.

(3) Support programs that assist victims of family violence in obtaining needed medical, legal, or other services and information.

(4) Educational programs relating to family violence in order to increase community awareness.

B. In addition, in order to receive monies, a local family violence program shall demonstrate that it has received or can expect to receive, funding equal to twenty percent of its anticipated cost of operation from the area served by the program. In-kind contributions, whether materials, commodities, transportation, office space, other types of facilities, personal services, or otherwise, may be evaluated and included as part of the required local funding.

Added by Acts 1983, 1st Ex. Sess., No. 60, §1, eff. March 1, 1983. Acts 1986, No. 1056, §1, eff. Sept. 1, 1986; Acts 1992, No. 984, §13.
La. Rev. Stat. § 46:1063 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 46 / Section 1063
Domicile; service of citation
Status: in_force

The police jury creating a hospital service district, with corporate powers, shall designate the domicile of such corporation, at which domicile it shall be sued and service of citation made on the director, and in his absence, upon the chairman of the commission, and in his or their absences, then upon the vice chairman of the commission; provided that in fixing the domicile of the district the police jury shall at all times fix the same at some place within the district.

Acts 1950, No. 420, §13.
La. Rev. Stat. § 46:2524 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 46 / Section 2524
Budget review
Status: in_force

The budget of the governor's office on women's policy shall be submitted to the governor by the director for approval by the division of administration and the Joint Legislative Committee on the Budget.

Acts 1985, No. 772, §1, eff. July 19, 1985; Acts 2003, No. 668, §2, eff. June 27, 2003.
La. Rev. Stat. § 46:2758 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 46 / Section 2758
Short title
Status: in_force

This Chapter shall be known and may be cited as the "Improved Outcomes for At-Risk Youths Act".

Acts 2013, No. 214, §1.
La. Rev. Stat. § 46:1816 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 46 / Section 1816
Crime Victims Reparations Fund; creation; sources and use of funds
Status: in_force

A. The Crime Victims Reparations Fund, hereinafter referred to as "the fund," is hereby created in the state treasury.

B. The fund shall be composed of:

(1) Monies derived from appropriations by the legislature.

(2) All monies paid as a cost levied on criminal actions, as provided by Subsections D and E of this Section.

(3) Any federal monies made available to the state for victim compensation.

(4) All monies received from any action to recover damages for a crime which was the basis of a reparations award under this Chapter.

(5) Any restitution paid by an offender to a victim for damages for a crime which was the basis of a reparations award under this Chapter, and any restitution payments owed to a victim as a condition of an offender's release on parole but directed to the fund pursuant to R.S. 15:574.4.2(C)(1)(b).

(6) Any monies paid into the fund from a defendant's escrow account, as provided by Chapter 21-C of this Title.

(7) Any gift, grant, devise or bequest of monies or properties of any nature or description.

(8) Monies deposited by the state treasurer from the collection of unclaimed prize money as provided for in R.S. 4:176 and R.S. 27:94, 252, 394, and 610, which shall be used exclusively to pay the expenses associated with healthcare services of victims of sexually oriented criminal offenses, including forensic medical examinations as defined in R.S. 15:622.

C.(1) Except as provided in Paragraphs (2) and (3) of this Subsection, all monies deposited in the fund shall be used solely to pay reparation awards to victims pursuant to this Chapter and disbursements therefrom shall be made by the state treasurer upon written order of the board, signed by the chairman, or a court.

(2)(a) Monies received from the collection of unclaimed prize money as provided for in R.S. 4:176 and R.S. 27:94, 252, and 394 shall be used exclusively to pay the expenses associated with healthcare services of victims of sexually oriented criminal offenses, including forensic medical examinations as defined in R.S. 15:622.

(b) Notwithstanding Subparagraph (a) of this Paragraph, for state Fiscal Years 2020-2021, 2021-2022, and 2022-2023, monies received from the collection of unclaimed prize money as provided for in R.S. 4:176 and R.S. 27:94, 252, and 394 shall be used exclusively to pay the expenses associated with healthcare services of victims of sexually oriented criminal offenses, including forensic medical examinations as defined in R.S. 15:622, lost earnings, and the reasonable costs of administering this Section. Such reasonable costs include salary for one full-time employee, salary for one part-time employee, equipment, operating expenses, and software support.

(3) Monies directed to the fund pursuant to R.S. 15:574.4.2(C)(1)(b) may be used to pay restitution owed to a victim pursuant to R.S. 15:574.4.2(C)(1)(a) who applies for recovery of the restitution funds pursuant to the provisions of this Chapter.

D.(1)(a) In addition to any other costs otherwise imposed by law, a cost of not less than fifty dollars for felonies and seven dollars and fifty cents for misdemeanors and violations of municipal and parish ordinances is hereby levied in each criminal action, except traffic violations other than those driving offenses defined in Title 14 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950, which results in a conviction. These costs shall be paid by the defendant. No court may suspend or waive the imposition of the costs provided for in this Section unless the defendant is found to be indigent, all other court costs are suspended or waived and no other costs, fines or assessments are levied, whether provided by law or imposed by the court, or unless restitution is ordered.

(b) The recipient of the costs shall remit all costs so collected to the Louisiana Commission on Law Enforcement and Administration of Criminal Justice on or before the first day of each calendar month to be deposited in the state treasurer's account for credit to the Crime Victims Reparations Fund after meeting the requirements of Article VII, Section 9 of the Constitution of Louisiana. The monies in this fund shall be invested by the state treasurer in the same manner as monies in the state general fund, and interest earned on the investment of these monies shall be credited to the fund following compliance with the requirement of Article VII, Section 9(B) relative to the Bond Security and Redemption Fund.

(2) Notwithstanding the provisions of Subsection C of this Section, monies deposited in the Crime Victims Reparations Fund may be used to pay reasonable costs of administering this Chapter. Disbursement of funds to pay such costs shall be made only on written authorization of the chairman or vice chairman of the board.

E.(1) In addition to other costs provided for in this Section, a person convicted of a felony, a misdemeanor, or a violation of an ordinance of any local government shall be assessed an additional two dollars as special costs. Such special costs shall be imposed by all courts, including mayor's courts and magistrate courts, and shall be used for the purpose of training local law enforcement officers as directed by the Peace Officer Standards and Training Council. The proceeds of the special costs shall be paid to the Louisiana Commission on Law Enforcement and Administration of Criminal Justice to be used to train local law enforcement agencies. The court, public office, or local governing body collecting the special costs imposed herein shall retain two percent of such costs to defray the administrative expenses of collecting and remitting the special costs.

(2) The recipient of the costs shall remit all costs so collected pursuant to this Subsection and other provisions of this Section to the Louisiana Commission on Law Enforcement and Administration of Criminal Justice on or before the first day of each calendar month to be deposited in the state treasurer's account for credit to the Crime Victims Reparations Fund after meeting the requirements of Article VII, Section 9 of the Constitution of Louisiana. The monies in this fund shall be invested by the state treasurer in the same manner as monies in the state general fund, and interest earned on the investment of these monies shall be credited to the fund following compliance with the requirement of Article VII, Section 9(B) of the Constitution of Louisiana, relative to the Bond Security and Redemption Fund. The amount of money generated by the two dollar fee included in the Crime Victims Reparation Fund shall be used by the Louisiana Commission on Law Enforcement and Administration of Criminal Justice to train local law enforcement officers and to provide assistance to local law enforcement agencies.

Added by Acts 1982, No. 250, §1, eff. July 17, 1982. Amended by Acts 1983, 1st Ex. Sess., No. 42, §1, eff. Jan. 19, 1983; Acts 1983, No. 159, §1; Acts 1984, No. 844, §2, eff. July 13, 1984; Acts 1985, No. 542, §1; Acts 1987, No. 474, §1; Acts 1989, No. 286, §1; Acts 1991, No. 409, §1; Acts 1991, No. 730, §1; Acts 2009, No. 440, §1; Acts 2012, No. 799, §3, eff. June 13, 2012; Acts 2015, No. 186, §3; Acts 2017, No. 53, §2; Acts 2020, No. 198, §1; Acts 2021, No. 440, §4, eff. July 1, 2021.
La. Rev. Stat. § 46:2704 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 46 / Section 2704
Unsafe children's product defined
Status: in_force

A. A children's product is unsafe for purposes of this Chapter if it meets one or more of the following criteria:

(1) The children's product does not conform to all federal laws and regulations setting forth standards for the children's product.

(2) The children's product has been recalled for any reason by a federal agency, the product's manufacturer, distributor, or importer; the recall has not been rescinded; and the children's product has been listed by the consumer protection section as a recalled product.

(3) A federal agency has issued a warning that a specific children's product's intended use constitutes a safety hazard and the warning has not been rescinded.

B. For the purposes of this Chapter, a crib is unsafe if it does not conform to the standards endorsed or established by the Consumer Product Safety Commission, pursuant to 16 CFR 1500.1 et seq.

C.(1) An unsafe children's product, which meets the criteria established pursuant to this Section, may be retrofitted, if the retrofit has been approved by the federal agency issuing the recall or warning or the federal agency responsible for approving the retrofit, if such agency is different from the federal agency issuing the recall or warning. A retrofitted children's product may be sold if it is accompanied at the time of sale by a notice declaring that it is safe to use. The notice shall include all of the following:

(a) A description of the original problem that made the recalled children's product unsafe.

(b) A description of the retrofit that explains how the original problem was eliminated and declaring that it is now safe to use.

(c) The name and address of the commercial user who accomplished the retrofit certifying that the work was done, along with the name and model number of the product retrofitted. The commercial user is responsible for ensuring that the notice is present with the retrofitted product at the time of sale.

(2) A retrofit does not need to comply with this Chapter if either of the following applies:

(a) The retrofit is for a children's product that requires assembly by the consumer; the approved retrofit is provided with the product by the commercial user; and the retrofit is accompanied at the time of sale by instructions explaining how to apply the retrofit.

(b) The seller of a previously unsold children's product accomplishes the repair prior to sale and the repair is approved or recommended by a federal agency.

Acts 2001, No. 1164, §1; Acts 2018, No. 206, §5.
La. Rev. Stat. § 46:2303 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 46 / Section 2303
State/tribal compacts; authority of governor
Status: in_force

The governor may enter into and sign state/tribal compacts with federally recognized tribes on behalf of the state.

Added by Acts 1980, No. 702, §2, eff. July 24, 1980. Amended by Acts 1982, No. 99, §1; Acts 1993, No. 275, §2, eff. July 1, 1993.

{{NOTE: SEE ACTS 1993, NO. 275, §3.}}
La. Rev. Stat. § 46:114.2 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 46 / Section 114.2
Attempting or aiding to obtain assistance fraudulently; penalties
Status: in_force

Any person who obtains or attempts to obtain or aids and abets anyone to obtain assistance from the Department of Children and Family Services or the Louisiana Department of Health by means of any false statement, misrepresentation, or other fraudulent device or violates the provisions of R.S. 46:114 shall be guilty of theft as provided by R.S. 14:67.

NOTE: §114.2 as amended by Acts 2025, No. 478, eff. Oct. 1, 2027.

§114.2. Attempting or aiding to obtain assistance fraudulently; penalties

Any person who obtains or attempts to obtain or aids and abets anyone to obtain assistance from Louisiana Works or the Louisiana Department of Health by means of any false statement, misrepresentation, or other fraudulent device or violates the provisions of R.S. 46:114 shall be guilty of theft as provided by R.S. 14:67.

Added by Acts 1960, No. 299, §2. Amended by Acts 1979, No. 769, §6; Acts 1988, No. 427, §1, eff. July 9, 1988; Acts 2025, No. 478, §13, eff. Oct. 1, 2027.
La. Rev. Stat. § 46:1108 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 46 / Section 1108
Failure to comply; remittance; death cancellation; disability
Status: in_force

A. If the recipient fails to comply fully with any condition as provided for by or provided pursuant to this Chapter, the recipient shall remit to the board of commissioners that amount which bears the same ratio to the aggregate of the amount of the scholarship awarded as the number of months that the recipient failed to comply with this condition bears to the number of months he was obligated to comply. Said amount shall be computed together with interest at the legal rate; such interest to be computed from the date on which the recipient completed professional training, and active military service, if any. Such repayment shall be completed within six years from the date at which the scholarship began to draw interest.

B. The permanent withdrawal or dismissal of a recipient from medical school, internship, or residency shall forfeit immediately the right of the recipient to retain the scholarship; the scholarship shall begin to bear interest at that time, and repayment shall be made to the board and completed within six years.

C. Any recipient of a scholarship who fails to return to the area designated by the board upon completion of medical training shall begin repayment of the scholarship, with interest, within one year after completion of medical training. Repayments shall be made to the board completed within six years.

D. Any obligation to comply with such contract shall be cancelled upon the death of the recipient, upon receipt of a certified copy of the death certificate by the board, of upon the permanent and total disability of the recipient.

Added by Acts 1976, No. 130, §1. Acts 1988, No. 55, §1.
La. Rev. Stat. § 46:2582 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 46 / Section 2582
Powers and duties
Status: in_force

The office of disability affairs shall have the following powers and duties:

(1) To collect facts and statistics and make special studies of conditions pertaining to the employment, health, financial status, recreation, social adjustment of persons with disabilities, or which otherwise affect the welfare of those persons.

(2) To keep abreast of the latest developments concerning disabilities and persons with disabilities throughout the nation and to interpret its findings to the public.

(3) To provide for a mutual exchange of ideas and information on national, state, and local levels.

(4) To make recommendations to the governor and to the legislature for needed improvements and additional resources to promote the welfare of persons with disabilities in the state.

(5) To provide information and advice to state agencies concerning compliance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and all other state and federal laws.

(6) To coordinate the services of all state agencies serving persons with disabilities and require reports from such state agencies and institutions.

(7) To adopt and promulgate rules and regulations that are deemed necessary to implement the provisions of this Chapter in accordance with the provisions of the Administrative Procedure Act.

(8) To network and promote local committees and organizations for persons with disabilities, to provide information and updates of changes in law, and centrally coordinate the preparation for the Governor's Conference for Persons with Disabilities.

(9) To encourage, strengthen, and promote coordination of goals and program services among various public and private delivery systems to persons with disabilities of all ages throughout the state.

(10) To seek to facilitate and encourage the integration of job-ready persons with disabilities into such programs as are available to their nondisabled peers.

Acts 1991, No. 1042, §1; Acts 2014, No. 811, §24, eff. June 23, 2014.
La. Rev. Stat. § 46:54 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 46 / Section 54
Parish offices
Status: in_force

There shall be in each parish of the state a parish office of the department; provided that the department may unite two or more parishes and form a district office. All duties and responsibilities set forth in this Chapter for parish offices shall also apply to the district offices.

NOTE: §54 as amended by Acts 2025, No. 478, eff. Oct. 1, 2027.

§54. Parish offices

A. There shall be in each parish of the state a parish office of the department; provided that the department may unite two or more parishes and form a district office. All duties and responsibilities set forth in this Chapter for parish offices shall also apply to the district offices.

B. Under rules and regulations of the department, the field and district offices shall administer all forms of public assistance within the department's purview in respective parishes.

Acts 1978, No. 786, §6, eff. July 17, 1978; Acts 2018, No. 206, §5; Acts 2025, No. 478, §13, eff. Oct. 1, 2027.
La. Rev. Stat. § 46:2575 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 46 / Section 2575
Cooperation by other state entities
Status: in_force

[Effective Date: Section terminated June 30, 1991.]

All departments, commissions, boards, agencies, officers, and institutions of the state and all subdivisions thereof shall cooperate with the task force in carrying out the powers and purposes of this Chapter.

Acts 1989, No. 294, §1, eff. June 27, 1989.

{{NOTE: R.S. 46:2576 (ACTS 1989, NO. 294) PROVIDED TERMINATION DATE FOR TASK FORCE AS 6/30/90. ACTS 1990, NO. 417, EFF. 7/18/90 PROVIDED TERMINATION DATE OF 6/30/91.}}
La. Rev. Stat. § 46:977.24 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 46 / Section 977.24
Eligibility factors; benefits; premium payment program participation
Status: in_force

A. In order to be eligible for the TEFRA option, a child shall meet all of the following eligibility criteria:

(1) He is a Louisiana resident and United States citizen.

(2) He is under the age of nineteen.

(3) He has a disability that is recognized under the definition of disability utilized in the Supplemental Security Income program of the Social Security Administration, regardless of whether he is eligible to receive benefits under that program.

(4) He is ineligible for Medicaid coverage when the income of his parents is considered.

(5) Excluding the assets of his parents, he does not have total assets exceeding two thousand dollars in value.

(6)(a) Due to his disability, he requires a level of care provided in a hospital, skilled nursing facility, or intermediate care facility; however, care provided outside of such an institution may be appropriate.

(b) A child may meet a level of care if, within the last twelve months, he presents for emergency care in a hospital more frequently than once per month and the use of the hospital is medically necessary to stabilize sickle cell anemia.

(7) The cost of his care provided at his home is less than the cost of institutional care.

B. The TEFRA option shall provide to eligible children coverage for all Medicaid state plan services.

C. To the maximum extent practicable, as determined by the secretary, the department shall include TEFRA option beneficiaries in its health insurance premium payment program as a means of maximizing private health insurance coverage of Medicaid enrollees.

Acts 2019, No. 421, §1; Acts 2025, No. 294, §1.
La. Rev. Stat. § 46:1651 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 46 / Section 1651
Transfer of functions of Bureau of Probation and Parole and Board of Parole
Status: in_force

A. The following board and bureau are hereby merged, consolidated, and placed under the jurisdiction of the Louisiana Board of Institutions, and all the functions of said board and bureau shall be transferred to the Louisiana Board of Institutions.

(1) The Bureau of Probation and Parole of the Department of Public Welfare, except the Juvenile Probation and Parole Service, set up by R.S. 46:1251 through 1256, as amended, and except the probation services rendered by the Department of Public Welfare in connection with criminal neglect of family cases as provided in Title 15 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950, as amended, which shall remain with the Department of Public Welfare.

(2) The Board of Parole, R.S. 15:574.2 through 574.13, as amended.

(3) The administration of the policies and decisions made and the carrying out of rules and regulations adopted by the aforesaid Bureau of Probation and Parole and Board of Parole shall be the responsibility of the Louisiana Board of Institutions. That department shall provide personnel, office space, clerical assistance, and equipment to the aforesaid Bureau of Probation and Parole and Board of Parole to carry out their respective functions.

B. Nothing in this Section shall be construed as giving the Louisiana Board of Institutions any authority over the Board of Parole or the Bureau of Probation and Parole or their respective functions. These agencies shall have complete autonomy from the Louisiana Board of Institutions regarding their policies and decisions relative to the parole of prisoners of this State.

Added by Acts 1960, No. 374, §1.
La. Rev. Stat. § 46:1406 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 46 / Section 1406
Licenses; application; temporary or provisional; fees
Status: in_force

A. Application for licensure of a new specialized provider shall be made by the specialized provider to the department upon forms furnished by the department. Upon receipt of the application for a license and verification that minimum requirements for such license as established by rule are satisfied, and that the specialized provider is in compliance with all other state and local laws and regulations, the department shall issue a Type I or Type IV license for such period as may be provided for by rule.

B. The department may provide through the promulgation of rules for the issuance of temporary, provisional, or extended licenses for each license type if a disapproval has not been received from any other state or local agency authorized by any other laws or rules to inspect such specialized providers.

C. A license of any type shall apply only to the location stated on the application, and such license, once issued, shall not be transferable from one person to another or from one location to another. If the location or ownership of the specialized provider is changed, then the license shall be automatically revoked. A new application form shall be completed prior to all license renewals.

D. Each licensed specialized provider shall display its license in a prominent place at the facility, except that a specialized provider operated by a church or religious organization may be exempt from such requirement, provided the license is available upon request.

E. There shall be an annual license fee for each specialized provider in an amount equal to the annual license fee in effect for all Class A and Class B specialized providers possessing such license on January 1, 2014, without an increase in the amount of such fees.

F. There shall be an annual license fee of fifty dollars for any license issued to a child-placing agency or maternity home.

G. The fees provided for in this Section shall not apply to any Type I specialized provider owned or operated by a church or religious organization.

H. Annual fees for any type of license shall not be increased unless expressly authorized by statute as provided in Article VII, Section 2.1 of the Constitution of Louisiana.

Acts 2013, No. 179, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 2014; Acts 2014, No. 868, §5, eff. Oct. 1, 2014.
La. Rev. Stat. § 46:450.5 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 46 / Section 450.5
Chronic kidney disease; evaluation; classification; criteria; healthcare coverage
Status: in_force

A. Any enrollee in Medicaid who is eligible for services and who has a diagnosis of diabetes or hypertension, or who has a family history of kidney disease, shall be evaluated for kidney disease through routine clinical laboratory assessments of kidney function.

B. Any enrollee in Medicaid who is eligible for services and who has been diagnosed with diabetes or hypertension or who has a family history of kidney disease, and who has received a diagnosis of kidney disease, shall be classified as a chronic kidney patient.

C. The diagnostic criteria that define chronic kidney disease should be generally recognized clinical practice guidelines which identify chronic kidney disease or its complications based on the presence of kidney damage and level of kidney function.

D. In keeping with the Medicaid disease management program of the Louisiana Department of Health, patients receiving Medicaid benefits who are at risk for chronic kidney disease will be tracked regarding appropriate diagnostic testing. Medicaid providers will be educated and disease management strategies implemented in order to increase the rate of evaluation and treatment for chronic kidney disease according to accepted practice guidelines including:

(1) Managing risk factors, which may prolong kidney function or delay progression to kidney replacement therapy.

(2) Managing risk factors for bone disease and cardiovascular disease associated with chronic kidney disease.

(3) Improving the nutritional status of chronic kidney disease patients.

(4) Correcting anemia associated with chronic kidney disease.

Acts 2005, No. 124, §1; Acts 2022, No. 271, §5.
La. Rev. Stat. § 46:286.21 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 46 / Section 286.21
Short title
Status: in_force

This Subpart may be cited as the "Quality Parenting for Children in Foster Care Act".

Acts 2015, No. 310, §1.
La. Rev. Stat. § 46:506 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 46 / Section 506
Receipt of funds for benefit of alms fund; twenty five thousand dollars to be permanent fund
Status: in_force

The governing authority or the city council of the respective parish or city may at any time receive funds or property of any character for the benefit of the alms fund; provided that the sum of twenty-five thousand dollars, which may be received and accumulated, from whatever sources, shall be retained as a permanent fund, the annual income alone being available for the use and purposes set forth in this Part.
La. Rev. Stat. § 46:1453 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 46 / Section 1453
Services and supports; eligibility
Status: in_force

A.(1) The program shall provide direct services, supports, social services case management, and referrals to biological parents of unborn children and biological or adoptive parents of children under the age of two years.

(2) The program shall deliver services exclusively through electronic means, including synchronous and asynchronous interactions, utilizing the telecare support network provided for in R.S. 46:1452 unless the legislature specifically appropriates monies for other modes of service delivery.

B. The components of the program shall include, without limitation, all of the following:

(1) Outreach to at-risk populations eligible for the program.

(2) Utilization of registered nurses, who shall be licensed in accordance with R.S. 37:911 et seq., to perform the following functions:

(a) Assessment and evaluation of needs related to pregnancy or parenting.

(b) Provision of medically accurate, pregnancy-related medical information to program participants.

(3) Utilization of social workers, who shall be licensed in accordance with R.S. 37:2701 et seq., or other licensed individuals with equivalent experience to perform the following functions:

(a) Development of a care plan, resources, and supports for program participants to address identified needs.

(b) Referrals to appropriate local resources including, without limitation, state and federal benefits programs and local charitable organizations.

(c) Assistance in applying for state and federal benefits programs.

(d) Assistance in accomplishing elements of the care plan.

(4) Coordination for pregnant women served by the telecare support network of appointments with in-person pregnancy resources centers or similar agencies in this state which provide information and services including, without limitation, counseling, ultrasound services, pregnancy tests, prenatal assistance, parenting classes, material support, and adoption information.

C. In order to be eligible to receive services through the program, an individual shall, at the time of initial contact with the program, meet all of the following requirements:

(1) Is a resident of this state.

(2) Is a biological parent of an unborn child or a biological or adoptive parent of a child under the age of two years.

D. Any program participant who terminates a pregnancy shall be eligible to continue receiving services through the program for a period of six months from the date of the pregnancy termination.

Acts 2022, No. 561, §1, eff. June 17, 2022.
La. Rev. Stat. § 46:437.8 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 46 / Section 437.8
Venue
Status: in_force

An action instituted pursuant to R.S. 46:437.6 or 437.7 may be brought in any of the following courts:

(1) The Nineteenth Judicial District Court for the parish of East Baton Rouge.

(2) A district court in the parish in which a health care provider or other person from whom recovery may be sought has its principal place of business or is domiciled.

Acts 1997, No. 1373, §1.
La. Rev. Stat. § 46:1405 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 46 / Section 1405
Transitional provisions
Status: in_force

A. Until such time as rules are promulgated by the department to implement the types of licenses required by R.S. 46:1404, specialized providers shall follow the rules, regulations, and standards in effect for Class A and Class B licensure.

B. All existing residential homes possessing a Class B license shall be issued a Type I license as provided by rule.

C. All existing child placing agencies, maternity homes, and residential homes that meet the definition for a Type IV license pursuant to this Chapter shall be issued a Type IV license as provided by rule.

Acts 1985, No. 286, §1; Acts 2013, No. 179, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 2014; Acts 2014, No. 868, §5, eff. Oct. 1, 2014.
La. Rev. Stat. § 46:450.8 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 46 / Section 450.8
Continuous glucose monitors; Medicaid coverage
Status: in_force

A. Except as provided in Subsection B of this Section, the Louisiana Medicaid program shall provide coverage for a continuous glucose monitor for the treatment of an enrollee who has one of the following conditions:

(1) Any type of diabetes with the use of insulin more than two times daily or evidence of level 2 or level 3 hypoglycemia.

(2) Glycogen storage disease type 1a.

B. To qualify for coverage pursuant to Subsection A of this Section, the enrollee shall attend regular follow-up visits with a healthcare provider at a minimum of every six months to assess the ongoing benefit of the enrollee's use of a continuous glucose monitor.

C.(1) The Louisiana Department of Health shall implement the provisions of this Section using the most cost-effective solution available to the department.

(2) The secretary of the department shall submit to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services all state plan amendments, promulgate all rules and regulations in accordance with the Administrative Procedure Act, and take any other actions necessary to implement the provisions of this Section.

D. For the purposes of this Section, "continuous glucose monitor" means an instrument or device, including repair and replacement parts, that is designed and offered for the purpose of measuring glucose levels at set intervals by means of a small electrode placed under the skin and held in place by an adhesive.

Acts 2022, No. 241, §1.
La. Rev. Stat. § 46:2265 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 46 / Section 2265
Advisory council creation; membership; terms; quorum; compensation
Status: in_force

A. There is hereby created an advisory council for the program of early identification of deaf or hard of hearing infants. The council shall consist of fourteen members as follows:

(1) An otolaryngologist or otologist.

(2) An audiologist with extensive experience in evaluating infants.

(3) A neonatologist.

(4) A pediatrician.

(5) A deaf person.

(6) A hospital administrator.

(7) A speech and language pathologist.

(8) A school teacher or administrator certified in education of the deaf.

(9) A parent who chose the oral method for his deaf or hard of hearing child.

(10) A parent of a deaf or hard of hearing child utilizing total communication.

(11) A representative of the state Department of Education designated by the superintendent of education.

(12) A representative of the office designated by the assistant secretary of the office.

(13) A representative from the Louisiana Commission for the Deaf.

(14) A representative from the Louisiana Association of the Deaf.

B. Members of the council in accordance with Paragraphs (A)(1) through (10), (13), and (14) shall be appointed by the governor, subject to Senate confirmation. Other members are not subject to Senate confirmation.

C. Members of the council representing offices and departments of state government shall serve four-year terms concurrent with that of the governor. Other members shall serve three-year terms, except that in making the initial appointments, four members shall be appointed for a one-year term, four shall be appointed for two-year terms, and four shall be appointed for three-year terms. No member may serve more than two consecutive terms.

D. Each member shall serve without compensation.

E. A majority of the members of the council shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of all business.

F. The members of the council shall elect from their membership a chairman and a vice chairman.

Acts 1992, No. 417, §1; Acts 2017, No. 146, §11.
La. Rev. Stat. § 46:460.51 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 46 / Section 460.51
Definitions
Status: in_force

As used in this Part, the following terms have the meaning ascribed in this Section unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:

(1) "Adverse determination" means any of the following relative to a claim by a provider for payment for a healthcare service rendered by the provider to an enrollee of the Medicaid managed care organization:

(a) A decision by a managed care organization that denies a claim in whole or in part.

(b) A decision by a managed care organization that only partially pays a claim.

(c) A decision by a managed care organization that results in recoupment of the payment of a claim.

(2) "Applicant" means a healthcare provider seeking to be approved or credentialed by a managed care organization to provide healthcare services to Medicaid enrollees.

(3) "Credentialing" or "recredentialing" means the process of assessing and validating the qualifications of healthcare providers applying to be approved by a managed care organization to provide healthcare services to Medicaid enrollees.

(4) "Dental coordinated care network" means a managed care organization or prepaid coordinated care network, as defined in this Section, that provides or administers only dental benefits for Medicaid recipients.

(5) "Department" means the Louisiana Department of Health.

(6) "Enrollee" means an individual who is enrolled in the Medicaid program.

(7) "Healthcare provider" or "provider" means a person, partnership, limited liability partnership, limited liability company, corporation, facility, or institution that provides healthcare or professional services to individuals enrolled in the Medicaid program.

(8) "Healthcare services" or "services" means the services, items, supplies, or drugs for the diagnosis, prevention, treatment, cure, or relief of a health condition, illness, injury, or disease.

(9) "Managed care organization" shall have the same definition as the term is defined by 42 CFR 438.2 and shall include any entity providing primary care case management services to Medicaid recipients pursuant to a contract with the department.

(10) "Policy or procedure" shall mean a requirement governing the administration of managed care organizations specific to billing guidelines, medical management and utilization review guidelines, case management guidelines, claims processing guidelines and edits, grievance and appeals procedures and process, other guidelines or manuals containing pertinent information related to operations and pre-processing claims, and core benefits and services.

(11) "Prepaid Coordinated Care Network" means a private entity that contracts with the department to provide Medicaid benefits and services to Louisiana Medicaid managed care program enrollees in exchange for a monthly prepaid capitated amount per member.

(12) "Primary care case management" means a system under which an entity contracts with the state to furnish case management services that include but are not limited to the location, coordination, and monitoring of primary healthcare services to Medicaid beneficiaries.

(13) "Prior authorization denial" means any situation in which the department or a managed care organization does not fully approve of services or items being requested by a healthcare provider, including any situation in which a service or item other than the exact service or item requested is approved. Prior authorization denials include but are not limited to situations in which a service has been requested for a period of time and is approved for a shorter period of time, fewer hours of a service than requested are approved, or a different item or service from that requested is approved. Prior authorization denials also include but are not limited to situations in which previously approved services are being terminated or reduced or when the department or contractor approves the requested item or service, but sets the amount to be reimbursed lower than the amount requested.

(14) "Secretary" means the secretary of the Louisiana Department of Health.

(15) "Standardized information" means the customary universal data concerning an applicant's identity, education, and professional experience relative to a managed care organization's credentialing process including but not limited to name, address, telephone number, date of birth, social security number, educational background, state licensing board number, residency program, internship, specialty, subspecialty, fellowship, or certification by a regional or national healthcare or medical specialty college, association or society, prior and current place of employment, an adverse medical review panel opinion, a pending professional liability lawsuit, final disposition of a professional liability settlement or judgment, and information mandated by health insurance issuer accrediting organizations.

(16) "Telehealth" has the meaning ascribed in R.S. 40:1223.3.

(17) "Verification" or "verification supporting statement" means the documentation confirming the information submitted by an applicant for a credentialing application from a specifically named entity or a regional, national, or general data depository providing primary source verification including but not limited to a college, university, medical school, teaching hospital, healthcare facility or institution, state licensing board, federal agency or department, professional liability insurer, or the National Practitioner Data Bank.

Acts 2013, No. 358, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 2014; Acts 2014, No. 791, §17; Acts 2015, No. 21, §1; Acts 2017, No. 349, §2; Acts 2018, No. 284, §1; Acts 2019, No. 319, §1; Acts 2019, No. 330, §1; Acts 2020, No. 88, §2.
La. Rev. Stat. § 46:2182 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 46 / Section 2182
Short title
Status: in_force

This Chapter shall be known and may be cited as the "Protection for Victims of Sexual Assault Act".

Acts 2015, No. 242, §3.
La. Rev. Stat. § 46:1861 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 46 / Section 1861
Family justice centers
Status: in_force

A.(1) A family justice center may be established in any judicial district to provide support, services, and assistance to victims of the following types of offenses:

(a) Domestic abuse as defined by R.S. 46:2132(3) and dating violence as defined in R.S. 46:2151(C).

(b) Sexual assault which includes the commission of or the attempt to commit any offense listed in R.S. 15:541(24).

(c) Abuse of a person protected by the Adult Protective Services Act pursuant to R.S. 15:1501 et seq.

(d) Stalking including any action prohibited by R.S. 14:40.2 and 40.3.

(e) Cyberbullying as defined by R.S. 14:40.7.

(f) Human trafficking as defined by R.S. 14:46.2 and trafficking of children for sexual purposes as defined by R.S. 14:46.3.

(2) A family justice center may be established in one judicial district to serve those victims listed in Paragraph (1) of this Subsection from one or more geographically contiguous judicial districts.

B.(1) Each family justice center established pursuant to the provisions of this Chapter is authorized to consult with, contract with, work with, or be staffed, on a full- or part-time basis, by personnel from any of the following public, private, or nonprofit entities providing services within any of the judicial districts served by and participating in the family justice center:

(a) Federal or state law enforcement agencies.

(b) Health care provider as defined by R.S. 40:1237.1 or 1231.1.

(c) Office of a district attorney or city prosecutor.

(d) Any agency or entity providing victim advocacy services.

(e) Community shelter for crime victims.

(f) Social service agency.

(g) Child welfare agency.

(h) Civil legal service providers.

(2) The list of entities provided in Paragraph (1) of this Subsection is not exclusive and each family justice center is authorized to consult with, contract with, work with, or be staffed by personnel from any other public, private, or nonprofit entity not specifically provided for in this Chapter that is necessary for providing services and assistance consistent with the purposes of this Chapter.

(3) Any person described in the provisions of this Subsection who is providing services to a family justice center shall comply with all laws, rules, or regulations governing their respective professions.

C. Each family justice center shall:

(1) Establish procedures for the ongoing input, feedback, and evaluation of the operations of the family justice center by survivors of violence and abuse and community-based crime victims service providers and advocates.

(2) Develop policies and procedures to ensure coordinated services are provided to victims and to enhance the safety of victims and personnel at the family justice center.

(3) Maintain a formal process for receiving feedback, complaints, and input from those persons receiving services at the family justice center and for addressing any concerns about services provided or the operations of any family justice center.

D. No family justice center shall:

(1) Deny services to any victim on the grounds of the victim's criminal history.

(2) Request the criminal history of a victim without the victim's written consent unless pursuant to a criminal investigation.

(3) Require a victim to participate in the criminal justice system or cooperate with law enforcement in order to receive counseling, medical care, or any other services at a family justice center.

(4) Require a victim to sign a consent form to share information in order to access services at the family justice center.

Acts 2015, No. 327, §1.
La. Rev. Stat. § 46:1443 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 46 / Section 1443
Short title
Status: in_force

This Chapter shall be known and may be cited as the "Improving Access to Child Care for Homeless Louisiana Families Act".

Acts 2014, No. 787, §2, eff. June 19, 2014.
La. Rev. Stat. § 46:1978 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 46 / Section 1978
Exceptions
Status: in_force

Nothing in this Chapter shall be construed to restrict or modify any federal or state laws related to an individual's rights for reasonable accommodation and equal access to housing, including but not limited to rights afforded in accordance with the Louisiana Equal Housing Opportunity Act, R.S. 51:2601 et seq.; the Fair Housing Act, 42 U.S.C. 3601 et seq.; the Americans with Disabilities Act; or related state or federal legislation.

Acts 2024, No. 558, §1.
La. Rev. Stat. § 46:460.54 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 46 / Section 460.54
Medicaid policies and procedures; procedure for adoption; required content
Status: in_force

A. The department, prior to adopting, approving, amending, or implementing any policy or procedure, shall publish the proposed policy or procedure on a publicly accessible page of the department's website for a period of no less than forty-five days for the purpose of soliciting public comments. The proposed policy or procedure shall be published in a format to be determined by the department but shall include both the existing policy or procedure and the proposed policy and procedure, with the proposed language in the text printed in boldface type and underscored. All present policy or procedure language and punctuation which are to be deleted shall be struck through.

B. A policy or procedure proposed by a managed care organization shall not be implemented unless the department has provided its express written approval to the managed care organization after the expiration of the public notice period required by this Section.

C. If the department finds that an imminent peril to the public health, safety, or welfare requires immediate approval of a proposed policy or procedure without otherwise publishing the proposed policy or procedure as required in Subsection A of this Section, the department may implement the proposed policy or procedure upon publishing a written statement that details its reason for finding that an imminent peril to the public health, safety, or welfare requires adoption of the proposed policy or procedure and a copy of the policy or procedure.

D. The provisions of this Section shall not apply to any policy or procedure that is otherwise duly promulgated in accordance with the Administrative Procedure Act or included in a duly executed contract amendment.

E. The department or a managed care organization shall be prohibited from enforcing any policy or procedure that is not adopted in compliance with this Section and any such policy or procedure shall be null and void and considered a violation of the public policy of this state.

F. If the managed care organization makes any policy or procedure change, the managed care organization shall submit the changes to the department for approval within the time specified by the department.

G. The department shall include in its Medicaid policies and procedures all of the following information relating to telehealth:

(1) An exhaustive listing of the covered healthcare services which may be furnished through telehealth.

(2) Processes by which providers may submit claims for reimbursement for healthcare services furnished through telehealth.

(3) The conditions under which a managed care organization may reimburse a provider or facility that is not physically located in this state for healthcare services furnished to an enrollee through telehealth.

Acts 2019, No. 319, §1; Acts 2020, No. 88, §2.
La. Rev. Stat. § 46:1445.12 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 46 / Section 1445.12
Required disclosures; rulemaking and reporting
Status: in_force

A. A vendor shall prepare an overview of the Adoption Awareness Program on a brochure or other written media that describes the website created pursuant to R.S. 46:1445.5 and any other pertinent contact information related to the program or that is required by the department.

B. The department shall provide a copy or copies of the document prepared pursuant to this Section and shall make the documents available to any one of the following:

(1) Any public health office.

(2) Any high school or middle school.

(3) Any charitable clinic at which a diagnosis of pregnancy may be made.

(4) Any person obtaining testing through a public health office for a sexually transmitted infection.

(5) Any pregnant woman applying to receive Medicaid.

C. The department shall provide a copy of the document prepared pursuant to this Section to the parent of any child taken into the custody by the department.

D. The department shall promulgate all rules and regulations necessary to implement the provisions of this Chapter. The rules shall include but not be limited to appropriate oversight provisions and penalties for failure to achieve program objectives as provided for in this Chapter, measures to ensure the clinical efficacy and financial viability of the program, and benchmarks to achieve best practice outcomes. The department shall report annually to the legislature on the status of the program.

Acts 2024, No. 515, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 2025.
La. Rev. Stat. § 46:312 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 46 / Section 312
Task force on SNAP electronic benefits issuance; membership; purpose
Status: in_force

[Effective Date: Terminated on March 1, 2015.]

A. There is hereby created within the Department of Children and Family Services a task force on SNAP electronic benefits issuance, referred to in this Section as the "task force".

B. The task force shall be composed of the following twelve members:

(1) Two members appointed by the commissioner of administration, at least one of whom shall be an employee in the office of information technology.

(2) Two members appointed by the secretary of the Department of Children and Family Services, at least one of whom shall be an employee in the division of programs of the department.

(3) The executive director of the Louisiana Retailers Association or his designee.

(4) The president of the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry or his designee.

(5) The vice president of public affairs of the National Grocers Association or his designee.

(6) One member of the House of Representatives appointed by the speaker of the House of Representatives.

(7) One member of the Senate appointed by the president of the Senate.

(8) One member representing the Louisiana State University Agricultural Center appointed by the vice president for agriculture.

(9) One member representing the Southern University Agricultural Center appointed by the chancellor of the center.

(10) The executive director of the Louisiana Food Bank Association or his designee.

C. At the first meeting, the members of the task force shall select one member to serve as chairman.

D. The purposes of the task force shall include the following:

(1) To study on an ongoing basis the policies, procedures, and technical processes by which the Department of Children and Family Services disburses SNAP benefits electronically.

(2) To consider the impacts on Louisiana families and businesses of prospective policy changes relative to the disbursement schedule for SNAP benefits.

(3) To keep abreast of changes in federal laws and regulations which relate in any manner to electronic issuance of public benefits.

(4) To make recommendations to the secretary of the Department of Children and Family Services, on a schedule determined by the chairman, concerning innovations in electronic benefits issuance policies and systems.

E. The task force shall convene on or before September 1, 2014. The secretary of the Department of Children and Family Services shall call the first meeting.

Acts 2014, No. 533, §1.
La. Rev. Stat. § 46:2403 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 46 / Section 2403
Creation of the Children's Trust Dedicated Fund Account
Status: in_force

A. There is hereby established a special statutorily dedicated fund account in the state treasury to be known as the "Children's Trust Dedicated Fund Account", hereafter referred to in this Section as the "account", consisting of monies provided by the legislature and monies received from any other sources, including funds derived from donations of income tax refunds as provided in R.S. 47:120.35 and funds derived from fees as provided in Subsection B of this Section. The legislature shall make yearly appropriations to the account for the purposes set forth in this Chapter to the extent that state funds are available. Monies deposited into the account shall be categorized as fees and self-generated revenue for the sole purpose of reporting related to the executive budget, supporting documents, and general appropriation bills and shall be available for annual appropriation by the legislature.

B. In addition to the fees collected for issuance of a short form birth certification card and for issuance of a certified copy of an original birth record or "long form" copy, the office of public health of the Louisiana Department of Health shall collect an additional fee of four dollars upon the filing of each request. The office of public health shall remit the total amount of such additional fees to the state treasurer on a monthly basis, in accordance with rules and regulations of the state treasurer.

C. Subject to the exceptions contained in Article VII, Section 9(A) of the Constitution of Louisiana, all such additional fees collected as provided in Subsection B of this Section shall be paid into the state treasury and shall be credited to the Bond Security and Redemption Fund. Out of the funds remaining in the Bond Security and Redemption Fund after a sufficient amount is allocated from that fund to pay all obligations secured by the full faith and credit of the state which become due and payable within any fiscal year, the treasurer shall, prior to placing such remaining funds in the state general fund, pay into the account an amount equal to the total amount of the additional birth certificate fees paid into the treasury pursuant to Subsection B of this Section.

D.(1) The monies in the account shall be used solely for programs designed to prevent the physical and sexual abuse and gross neglect of children. Disbursement of the amount appropriated each year shall be made as determined by the Children's Cabinet with consideration of recommendations made by the Children's Trust Fund Board. All unexpended and unencumbered monies in the account at the end of the fiscal year shall remain to the credit of the account.

(2) Outreach, communications, and other efforts to raise public awareness concerning the Safe Haven Law relative to infant relinquishment, Children's Code Article 1149 et seq., are hereby declared to be consistent with the purposes of this Subsection, and are hereby deemed to qualify as programs eligible for funding pursuant to the provisions of this Chapter.

E. The Children's Cabinet shall determine the eligibility of programs to receive funding based upon a nonbiased system of scoring by volunteer grant reviewers and recommendations by the Children's Trust Fund Board, and the administration of the account shall be exercised by the office in accordance with the directives of the cabinet and the provisions of R.S. 36:4(B)(17) and R.S. 46:2407.

Acts 1987, No. 932, §1, eff. July 20, 1987; Acts 1992, No. 900, §1, eff. July 1, 1993; Acts 1996, No. 9, §1; Acts 2015, No. 223, §2; Acts 2017, No. 237, §2; Acts 2021, No. 114, §§12, 18, eff. July 1, 2022; Acts 2022, No. 623, §6, eff. July 1, 2022.
La. Rev. Stat. § 46:439.1 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 46 / Section 439.1
Qui tam action; civil action filed by private person
Status: in_force

A. A private person may institute a civil action in the courts of this state on behalf of the state and himself to seek recovery for a violation of R.S. 46:438.2, 438.3, or 438.4 pursuant to the provisions of this Subpart. The institutor shall be known as a "qui tam plaintiff" and the civil action shall be known as a "qui tam action". The action may be dismissed only if the court and the attorney general give written consent to the dismissal and reasons for consenting.

B. No qui tam action shall be instituted more than six years after the date on which the violation of the Louisiana Medical Assistance Programs Integrity Law is committed or more than three years after the date the facts material to the right of action are known or reasonably should have been known by the official of the state of Louisiana charged with the responsibility to act in the circumstances, but no more than ten years after the date on which the violation is committed, whichever occurs last.

C. The burden of proof in a qui tam action instituted pursuant to this Subpart shall be the same as that set forth in R.S. 46:438.8.

D.(1) Unless the action is brought by the state or the qui tam plaintiff is an original source of information, the court shall dismiss an action or claim in accordance with this Section, unless opposed by the state if substantially the same allegations or transactions as alleged in the action or claim were publicly disclosed in any of the following:

(a) A criminal, civil, or administrative hearing in which the state or its agent is a party.

(b) A state legislative or other state hearing, report, audit, or investigation.

(c) The news media.

(2) For the purposes of this Subsection, "original source" means an individual who, prior to a public disclosure in accordance with this Subsection, has voluntarily disclosed to the state the information on which allegations or transactions in a claim are based or who has knowledge that is independent of and materially adds to the publicly disclosed allegations or transactions, and who has voluntarily provided the information to the state before filing an action in accordance with this Subpart.

E. Any employee, contractor, or agent shall be entitled to all relief necessary to make that employee, contractor, or agent whole, if the employee, contractor, or agent is discharged, demoted, suspended, threatened, harassed, or in any other manner discriminated against in the terms and conditions of employment because of lawful acts done by the employee, contractor, agent, or associated others in furtherance of an action in accordance with this Part or other efforts to stop one or more violations of this Part.

(1) Relief in accordance with this Subsection shall include reinstatement with the same seniority status the employee, contractor, or agent would have had but for the discrimination, two times the amount of back pay, interest on the back pay, and compensation for any special damages sustained as a result of the discrimination, including litigation costs and reasonable attorney fees. An action in accordance with this Section may be brought in the appropriate district court of competent jurisdiction for the relief provided in this Section.

(2) A civil action in accordance with this Section may not be brought more than three years after the date the retaliation occurred.

F. Repealed by Acts 2025, No. 206, §2.

G. Notwithstanding any other law to the contrary, a qui tam complaint and information delivered to the state shall not be subject to discovery or become public record until judicial service of the qui tam action is made on any of the defendants, except that the information contained therein may be given to other governmental entities or their authorized agents for review and investigation. The entities and their authorized agents shall maintain the confidentiality of the information provided to them under this Subsection.

H, I. Repealed by Acts 2011, No. 185, §2.

Acts 1997, No. 1373, §1; Acts 2009, No. 426, §1; Acts 2011, No. 185, §§1, 2; Acts 2025, No. 206, §§1, 2.
La. Rev. Stat. § 46:1104 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 46 / Section 1104
Application consideration; evaluation
Status: in_force

It shall be the duty of the board of commissioners to receive, consider, evaluate, and allow or disallow all applications for scholarships made by eligible applicants. The board of commissioners shall make careful and full investigation of the ability and qualifications of each applicant. The board of commissioners shall provide that an affirmative action program for the selection of recipients be established which shall include that no discrimination occur on the basis of race, creed, sex, age, or ethnic origin. The board of commissioners shall establish and publish rules on the selection process of the recipient which shall preclude the appearance of and the possibility of nepotism. The board of commissioners shall notify each applicant selected to receive a scholarship of his selection and shall also notify the dean of the medical school to which the recipient has been admitted or in which he is engaged in study, or the chief administrator of any internship or residency program in which the applicant is engaged.

Added by Acts 1976, No. 130, §1.
La. Rev. Stat. § 46:231.5 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 46 / Section 231.5
Public assistance recipients; parenting skills education; condition of eligibility
Status: in_force

A. The secretary shall establish a program to provide parenting skills education for public assistance recipients who are pregnant or have a child under age one and shall require participation as a primary work activity under a Family Success Agreement. Parents with children under age one are not considered exempt for participation in this work activity. Participants who fail to participate in these activities shall be subject to sanction for non-participation and shall be considered to be out of compliance with a Family Success Agreement. Applicable child care and transportation shall be provided to participants to enable their participation.

B. The secretary of the department shall adopt rules and regulations for the administration of the program established under this Section.

Acts 1997, No. 1155, §1, eff. July 1, 1997; Acts 2003, No. 58, §1.
La. Rev. Stat. § 46:937 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 46 / Section 937
Frail elderly program; administration
Status: in_force

NOTE: §937 eff. until one or more of the 20 depts. of the executive branch is abolished or a const. amend. authorizing the creation of an additional dept. becomes effective, whichever is earlier. See Acts 2013, No. 384, §§5 and 9.

A. The office of elderly affairs shall create the frail elderly program which shall provide home and community services to persons sixty years of age or older who have some degree of functional impairment in areas serviced by a participating voluntary council on aging. Such impairment shall be determined by the comprehensive assessment conducted in accordance with rules and regulations promulgated by the office.

B. In areas serviced by a voluntary council on aging which agrees to participate, the program shall be administered by the council, subject to the rules and regulations promulgated by the office.

NOTE: §937 as amended by Acts 2013, No. 384, §5, eff. when one or more of the 20 depts. of the executive branch is abolished or a const. amend. authorizing the creation of an additional dept. becomes effective, whichever is earlier.

A. The Department of Elderly Affairs shall create the frail elderly program which shall provide home and community services to persons sixty years of age or older who have some degree of functional impairment in areas serviced by a participating voluntary council on aging. Such impairment shall be determined by the comprehensive assessment conducted in accordance with rules and regulations promulgated by the department.

B. In areas serviced by a voluntary council on aging which agrees to participate, the program shall be administered by the council, subject to the rules and regulations promulgated by the department.

Acts 1992, No. 358, §1, eff. June 17, 1992; Acts 2013, No. 384, §5, eff. when one of the 20 executive branch depts. is abolished or a const. amend. authorizing creation of an additional dept. becomes effective, whichever is earlier.
La. Rev. Stat. § 46:2881 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 46 / Section 2881
Short title
Status: in_force

This Chapter shall be known and may be cited as "The Umbilical Cord Blood Banking Program Act".

Acts 2008, No. 163, §1.
La. Rev. Stat. § 46:1853 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 46 / Section 1853
Distribution of escrow account funds
Status: in_force

A. Proceeds paid into an escrow account provided for by this Chapter shall be retained for a period of ten years after the date of the court order or deposit by the contracting party, but during that period may be levied upon to satisfy a money judgment or reparations award rendered in favor of a victim or the legal representative of the victim of the defendant's crime.

B. If so ordered by a court, with notice to all interested parties and opportunity for hearing, the escrow account shall be used to satisfy, and disbursements made therefrom by the treasurer, in the following order:

(1) Court-ordered restitution in favor of a victim of the defendant's crime.

(2) A money judgment rendered by a court or an award of reparations by the Crime Victims Reparations Board in favor of a victim of the defendant's crime.

(3) Fees due for legal representation of the defendant in criminal proceedings, including the appeals process, to the extent that the defendant's representation was paid for by the state or an agency thereof, but such amounts paid shall not exceed twenty-five percent of the total amount in escrow.

(4) Any fines or costs assessed against the defendant by a court.

C. At the end of the ten-year period provided for in Subsection A of this Section, the remaining escrow account funds shall be paid into the Crime Victims Reparations Fund as provided for by R.S. 46:1816. However, if a civil action is pending against the defendant that would be eligible to be satisfied out of the escrow account, then the funds shall be held in escrow until completion of the action.

D. If the defendant has appealed his conviction and the appeal process is not finalized by the expiration of the ten-year period provided for in Subsection A of this Section, then the remaining escrow account funds shall be held until the appeal process is finalized, and if the conviction is reversed, the treasurer shall pay any money remaining in the escrow account to the defendant.

Acts 2012, No. 799, §3, eff. June 13, 2012.
La. Rev. Stat. § 46:1954 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 46 / Section 1954
Housing accommodations; full and equal access; degree of care; service dogs
Status: in_force

A. Every person with a disability shall be entitled to full and equal access, as other members of the general public, to all housing accommodations offered for rent, lease, or compensation in this state, subject to the conditions and limitations established by law and applicable alike to all persons.

B. Nothing in this Section shall require any person renting, leasing, or providing for compensation immovable property to modify his property in any way or to provide a higher degree of care for a person with a disability than for a person who does not have a disability.

C. Each person with a disability who has a service dog, especially trained to aid such person or who obtains such a dog, shall be entitled to full and equal access to all housing accommodations as defined in R.S. 46:1952(2), and he shall not be required to pay extra compensation for such dog but shall be liable for any damage done to the premises or any person on the premises by such dog.

Acts 1982, No. 518, §1; Acts 1993, No. 482, §1; Acts 1993, No. 763, §2; Acts 2014, No. 492, §1; Acts 2014, No. 811, §24, eff. June 23, 2014; Acts 2018, No. 206, §5.

NOTE: Acts 1993, No. 763, §1 amended prior R.S. 46:1952(A), (B), and (C), 1953(D), and 1954 and enacted R.S. 46:1953(E). Acts 1993, No. 482, §1 amended and reenacted the entire Chapter. The Chapter appears as in Act No. 482. The Louisiana State Law Institute printed the provisions of Act No. 763 as a note at the head of this Chapter.
La. Rev. Stat. § 46:1845 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 46 / Section 1845
Sexual Assault Survivor Bill of Rights
Status: in_force

A.(1) The legislature hereby finds and declares the urgent need to establish a comprehensive Sexual Assault Survivor Bill of Rights. A bill of rights is of paramount importance in addressing the alarming underreporting of sexual assault cases and ensuring that survivors receive the support, protection, and justice that they deserve.

(2) The legislature further finds that transparency is a core principle that our justice system should uphold. By enacting a Sexual Assault Survivor Bill of Rights, barriers that prevent survivors from coming forward and seeking justice can be eliminated. Transparency allows survivors to share their experiences openly, without fear of judgment or retribution. Transparency empowers survivors to reclaim their narratives and break free from the chains of shame and secrecy. Access to records is essential for transparency and for survivors to navigate the often complex and overwhelming legal process. It is a matter of justice and fairness that survivors have the right to access their records, including medical reports, forensic evidence, and legal documentation. This access enables survivors to make informed decisions about their health care, legal options, and support services. Granting survivors access to records empowers them to actively participate in their healing and seek the justice that they so rightfully deserve.

(3) The recognition of rights for survivors is crucial in ensuring their well-being and recovery. The legislature finds that the experiences of survivors are valid, their voices matter, and they deserve to be treated with dignity, respect, and compassion.

(4) Subsection C of this Section shall be known and may be cited as the "Sexual Assault Survivor Bill of Rights".

B.(1) The rights provided to sexual assault survivors contained in this Section attach regardless of whether a survivor seeks the assistance of law enforcement. A sexual assault survivor retains all of the rights of these provisions regardless of whether the survivor receives a forensic medical examination or whether a sexual assault collection kit is administered.

(2) Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, nothing in this Section shall be construed to negate or impair any provision of law relative to the mandatory reporting of crimes against children under the age of eighteen years or to negate or impair the investigation or prosecution of any crime against children under the age of eighteen.

(3) Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, a defendant or person accused or convicted of a crime against a survivor does not have standing to seek to have their conviction or sentence set aside for any violation of the Sexual Assault Survivor Bill of Rights.

C. A sexual assault survivor shall have the following rights:

(1) The right not to be prevented from, or charged for, receiving a forensic medical exam as provided in R.S. 40:1216.1.

(2) The right to have an unreported sexual assault collection kit preserved, without charge, for at least twenty years.

(3) The right to be informed of any results, updates, status, location, and tracking as provided in R.S. 15:624.1.

(4) The right to be informed in writing of policies governing the collection and preservation of a sexual assault collection kit.

(5) The right to be informed in writing from the appropriate official not later than sixty days before the date of the intended destruction or disposal of a sexual assault collection kit, and upon written request, the ability to be granted further preservation of the kit or its probative contents.

(6) The right to be notified of the ability to request the presence of a sexual assault advocate before the administration of a forensic medical examination or a scheduled interview by a law enforcement official if a sexual assault advocate is reasonably available.

(7) The right to have access to and obtain a copy of their forensic medical examination report at no cost to them pursuant to R.S. 40:1216.1(G).

(8) The right not to be requested or required to submit to a polygraph examination as a condition of an investigation or prosecution as provided in R.S. 15:241.

(9) The right to receive, at no cost, a copy of any records or investigative reports from law enforcement when those records are provided to the defendant through discovery or a year after the offense was reported, whichever is sooner.

(10) The right to have privileged communications with a representative or employee of a sexual assault center as provided in R.S. 46:2187.

(11) The right not to have the survivor's DNA obtained from a sexual assault collection kit compared with other DNA records to investigate the survivor as provided in R.S. 15:622.1.

(12) The right to retain any other rights that a survivor may have under any other law of this state.

D. Any complaint about a violation of this Section may be submitted directly to the Senate Select Committee on Women and Children for legislative oversight.

Acts 2017, No. 337, §1; Acts 2022, No. 207, §§1, 2; Acts 2024, No. 669, §2.
La. Rev. Stat. § 46:1434 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 46 / Section 1434
Fingerprints, missing children
Status: in_force

A. When fingerprints are taken for the purpose of identifying a child, should that child become missing, the state agency, public or private organization, or other person taking such fingerprints shall not reveal the fingerprints to any law enforcement agency or other person for any purpose other than the identification of a missing child.

B. Fingerprints of children taken and retained by any state agency, public or private organization, or other person, excluding the parent or legal custodian of the child, shall be destroyed upon the child's reaching eighteen years of age.

Acts 1985, No. 899, §1.
La. Rev. Stat. § 46:2203 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 46 / Section 2203
Coordination of services
Status: in_force

Prior to awarding a grant to any agency, the Department of Transportation and Development shall require the applicant agency to assess and verify the local needs for the special transportation services. Each applicant agency shall also certify that local agencies are coordinating their service plans and that the awarding of the grant will not foster a duplication of services for persons who are elderly and persons with disabilities.

Added by Acts 1979, No. 785, §1; Acts 2014, No. 811, §24, eff. June 23, 2014.
La. Rev. Stat. § 46:1445.10 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 46 / Section 1445.10
Vendor protections
Status: in_force

A. The department shall not require, as a condition of participation in the Adoption Awareness Program, a vendor or its employees to violate the freedom of religion, freedom of speech, or freedom of association that is guaranteed by the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States and made applicable to the state by the Constitution of Louisiana.

B. The department shall not require, as any condition of participation in the Adoption Awareness Program, the vendor or its employees to participate in or facilitate any action to which the vendor or its employee has a conscience objection.

C. Notwithstanding its participation in the Adoption Awareness Program, a vendor may offer other religious or sectarian services or programs utilizing funds from other sources.

Acts 2024, No. 515, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 2025.
La. Rev. Stat. § 46:1857 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 46 / Section 1857
Actions to defeat purposes of Chapter prohibited
Status: in_force

Any action taken by a defendant, whether by way of execution of a power of attorney, creation of corporate entities, or otherwise, to defeat the purposes of this Chapter shall be null and void.

Acts 2012, No. 799, §3, eff. June 13, 2012.
La. Rev. Stat. § 46:440.12 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 46 / Section 440.12
Definitions
Status: in_force

As used in this Subpart, the following terms have the meaning ascribed in this Section:

(1) "Adverse determination" means any decision rendered by the recovery audit contractor that results in a payment to a provider for a claim or service being reduced either partially or completely.

(2) "Contractor" and "recovery audit contractor" mean a Medicaid recovery audit contractor selected by the department to perform audits for the purpose of ensuring Medicaid program integrity in accordance with the provisions of 42 CFR 455 et seq.

(3) "Department" means the Louisiana Department of Health.

(4) "Medicaid" and "medical assistance program" mean the medical assistance program provided for in Title XIX of the Social Security Act.

(5) "Provider" means any healthcare entity enrolled with the department as a provider in the Medicaid program.

Acts 2014, No. 568, §1, eff. Aug. 15, 2014.
La. Rev. Stat. § 46:1106 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 46 / Section 1106
Contract for scholarship; contingent
Status: in_force

Any applicant selected by the board of commissioners to receive a scholarship shall enter into a contract with the board, which shall be deemed a contract formed within the state of Louisiana, agreeing to the terms and conditions upon which the scholarship shall be granted to the applicant. The contract shall include such terms and provisions as will execute the full purpose and intent of this medical scholarship program, including the purpose of providing physicians who will practice family medicine to areas where a shortage of such physicians exists. The form of the contract shall be prepared and approved by the attorney general of this state. The chairman of the board of commissioners shall sign the contract, the vice-chairman of the board shall countersign it, and the applicant shall likewise sign it. The board shall preserve and maintain the contract until such time as the terms thereof are met or satisfied; a duplicate copy shall be transmitted to the applicant and to the respective medical school.

Added by Acts 1976, No. 130, §1.
La. Rev. Stat. § 46:11 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 46 / Section 11
Proceedings for recovery of charges due hospitals
Status: in_force

All proceedings for the recovery of any charges or fees due any charity hospital of this state or any veterans administration hospital in the state may be presented in any court of this state, in term time or in vacation, by rule, in a direct action or by intervention, or by third opposition, and all the proceedings shall be tried or heard summarily and by preference in all courts, after notice of not less than two days to adverse parties.

Amended by Acts 1972, No. 20, §1.
La. Rev. Stat. § 46:236.1.11 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 46 / Section 236.1.11
Family and child support programs; insurance companies; data matching and cooperation; responsibilities
Status: in_force

A.(1) The department shall be authorized to obtain health insurance enrollment data currently being provided in accordance with federal law and R.S. 44:14, through data sharing agreements between the department and health insurers, as defined in R.S. 46:446.6, or through an interagency agreement with the Louisiana Department of Health, at the discretion of the department.

(2) As a condition of conducting business in Louisiana, health insurers, defined as any insurance company or other entity who is authorized to transact and is currently transacting health insurance business in this state, including self-insured plans, group health plans as defined in Section 607(1) of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, service benefit plans, managed care organizations, pharmacy benefit managers, third party administrators and any other parties that are, by statute, contract, or agreement, legally responsible for payment of a claim for a health care item or service, shall permit and participate in data matching with the department to assist in determining the availability of other sources of health care insurance or coverage for beneficiaries of the child support program. If not providing data through the Louisiana Department of Health, health insurers shall provide to the department or its designee, no less than quarterly, an electronic listing of all individuals who may be covered by a health insurer and the nature of coverage that is provided, their social security numbers, addresses, dates of birth, policy holder, policy identification number, group number and effective dates for purposes of identifying coverage and enforcing medical child support orders administered by the department.

(3) The provisions of Paragraphs (1) and (2) of this Subsection shall not apply to the following types of insurance: limited benefit health and accident; TRICARE; dental; disability income; fixed indemnity; long-term care; Medicare supplement; Medicare Advantage; specified disease; vision; basic hospital expense; and basic medical-surgical expense.

B.(1) If any state employee or any person working under a contract with the state knowingly, or by reason of gross negligence, discloses data match information of an individual in violation of any provision of this Section, the aggrieved individual may bring a civil action for damages against such person in any court of competent jurisdiction of this state in accordance with Subsection C of this Section.

(2) No liability shall arise under this Section with respect to any disclosure which results from a good faith, but erroneous, interpretation of this Section except in cases of gross negligence.

C. In any action brought under this Section for unauthorized disclosure, upon a finding of liability on the part of the defendant, the defendant shall be liable to the aggrieved individual in an amount equal to the greater of one thousand dollars for each act of unauthorized disclosure of data match information with respect to which such defendant is found liable or the actual damages sustained by the aggrieved individual as a result of such unauthorized disclosure. In the case of a willful disclosure or a disclosure which is the result of gross negligence, the defendant shall be liable for punitive damages and all costs and attorney fees.

Acts 2008, No. 578, §2; Acts 2009, No. 241, §1.
La. Rev. Stat. § 46:1831.14 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 46 / Section 1831.14
Penalty for fraud
Status: in_force

No person shall procure or counsel another person to procure reparations pursuant to the provisions of this Chapter by any fraud. The penalty for the violation of the provisions of this Section shall be a fine of not more than five hundred dollars or imprisonment for not more than one year, or both.

Acts 2023, No. 451, §2.

NOTE: Pursuant to R.S. 46:1831.16, this Chapter will terminate Aug. 1, 2027.
La. Rev. Stat. § 46:2635 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 46 / Section 2635
Expenditures
Status: in_force

A. Except as provided in R.S. 46:2633(D)(2), money in the trust fund shall be distributed for the sole purpose of funding the cost of care or supportive services for traumatic brain and spinal cord injury, including the administrative costs attributable to services provided by the trust fund program. The fund shall be considered as a source of last resort after Medicare and Medicaid sources have been expended for Louisiana citizens.

B. Authorization of expenditures for spinal cord injury care and brain injury care shall be made by the office of aging and adult services, within the Louisiana Department of Health, according to criteria established by the department through administrative rule.

C. Expenditures may include but are not limited to post-acute medical care rehabilitation, therapies, medication, attendant care, home or vehicle accessibility modifications, and equipment necessary for activities of daily living, provided that such expenses are related to the spinal cord injury or traumatic brain injury.

D.(1) Except as provided in Paragraph (2) of this Subsection, expenditures on behalf of any one traumatic brain or spinal cord injury survivor shall not exceed fifteen thousand dollars for any twelve-month period nor fifty thousand dollars in total expenditures.

(2) If the total expenditures on behalf of any one traumatic brain or spinal cord injury survivor exceed fifty thousand dollars, the survivor may be eligible for additional expenditures on behalf of the survivor if funds are appropriated specifically for that purpose in addition to the funds collected pursuant to R.S. 46:2633(B), provided that the total amount of expenditures on behalf of any one traumatic brain or spinal cord injury survivor shall not exceed fifteen thousand dollars per year nor one hundred thousand dollars in total expenditures.

E. The administrative costs of the program shall be funded and paid for exclusively from the fund.

Acts 1993, No. 654, §1, eff. June 16, 1993; Acts 1999, No. 526, §1, eff. June 29, 1999; Acts 1999, No. 826, §1; Acts 2000, 1st Ex. Sess., No. 119, §1, eff. April 19, 2000; Acts 2010, No. 939, §8, eff. July 1, 2010; Acts 2012, No. 269, §2, eff. May 25, 2012; Acts 2018, No. 424, §1, eff. May 23, 2018; Acts 2024, No. 278, §2, eff. Feb. 1, 2025.
La. Rev. Stat. § 46:1445.14 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 46 / Section 1445.14
Funding
Status: in_force

This Chapter shall not be implemented or operational until monies are secured from the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) sufficient to fund the provisions of this Chapter.

Acts 2024, No. 515, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 2025.
La. Rev. Stat. § 46:460.75 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 46 / Section 460.75
Provider claim payment and information protection
Status: in_force

A. If a healthcare provider submits a request, either orally or in writing, to a managed care organization during the time prescribed by state law or regulation in which a managed care organization can subject a claim to any review or audit for purposes of reconsidering the validity of a claim, the managed care organization shall provide, within two business days of such request, a copy of all documentation that has been transmitted between the healthcare provider and the managed care organization, or their respective agents, that is associated with a claim for payment of a service. A managed care organization may, in lieu of providing a physical copy, provide electronic access of the documentation through the use of a provider portal or other electronic means to the provider. All information or documentation required to be provided to a healthcare provider by a managed care organization pursuant to this Section, whether by physical copy or electronic access, shall be provided at no cost to the healthcare provider.

B.(1) Any healthcare provider contract issued, amended, or renewed on or after January 1, 2021, between a managed care organization, its contracted vendor, or agent and a healthcare provider for the provision of healthcare services to a Medicaid enrollee shall not contain restrictions on methods of payment from the managed care organization or its vendor to the healthcare provider in which the only acceptable payment method for healthcare services rendered requires the healthcare provider to pay a transaction fee, provider subscription fee, or any other type of fee or cost in order to accept payment from the managed care organization for the provision of healthcare services, or that would result in a monetary reduction in the healthcare provider's payment for the healthcare services rendered.

(2) If initiating or changing payments to a healthcare provider using electronic funds transfer payments a managed care organization, its contracted vendor, or agent shall do both of the following:

(a) Notify the healthcare provider if any fees are associated with a particular payment method.

(b) Advise the provider of the available methods of payment and provide clear instructions to the healthcare provider as to how to select an alternative payment method that does not require the healthcare provider to pay a transaction fee, provider subscription fee, or any other type of fee or cost in order to accept payment from the managed care organization for the provision of healthcare services.

C. The provisions of this Section shall not be waived by contract, and any contractual clause in conflict with the provisions of this Section or that purports to waive any requirements of this Section is void.

D. If the managed care organization, its contracted vendor, or agent violates any provision of this Section, the department shall impose penalties on the managed care organization in accordance with contract provisions or rules and regulations promulgated pursuant to the Administrative Procedure Act, except that penalties shall be imposed without the necessity of the department having to issue any prior notice of corrective action.

E. As used in this Section, "electronic funds transfer" means an electronic funds transfer through the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, P.L. 104-191, standard automated clearinghouse network.

Acts 2021, No. 434, §2.
La. Rev. Stat. § 46:2583 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 46 / Section 2583
Disability Affairs Trust Fund
Status: in_force

A.(1) Subject to the provisions of R.S. 15:571.11, two-thirds of all fines collected for violations of parking restrictions established by R.S. 40:1742(B), two-thirds of all fines collected for false certification of mobility impairment by a physician as provided by R.S. 47:463.4(G)(4), and two-thirds of all fines collected for manufacture, sale, possession, or use of a counterfeit mobility-impaired placard as provided for in R.S. 47:463.4.3(B) shall be forwarded by the officer of the court who collects the same to the state treasurer within thirty days after the penalty or forfeiture is collected.

(2) In addition to all fines, fees, costs, and punishment prescribed by law for violations of mobility-impaired parking restrictions established by local ordinance or R.S. 40:1742, the court shall impose an additional fee of twenty-five dollars for each such violation. All monies collected from such additional fees shall be forwarded by the officer of the court who collects the same to the state treasurer within thirty days after the penalty or forfeiture is collected.

B. All funds received by the state treasurer as provided in Subsection A of this Section shall be deposited upon receipt in the state treasury. After compliance with the requirements of Article VII, Section 9(B) of the Constitution of Louisiana relative to the Bond Security and Redemption Fund, and prior to monies being placed in the state general fund, an amount equal to that deposited as required by this Subsection shall be credited to a special fund hereby created in the state treasury to be known as the "Disability Affairs Trust Fund". The monies in the fund shall be used solely as provided in this Section and only in the amounts appropriated by the legislature.

C. Subject to applicable limitations of Article VII, Section 9(B), the fund shall additionally consist of all funds designated to the fund and received by donation, grant, gift, or otherwise from any source including sums appropriated specifically to it by the legislature and any other allocations made directly to it.

D. The monies in the fund shall be invested by the state treasurer in the same manner as monies in the state general fund, and interest earned on the investment of these monies shall be credited to this fund, again, following compliance with applicable requirements of Article VII, Section 9(B) relative to the Bond Security and Redemption Fund.

E. The legislature shall make an annual appropriation of the monies in the fund to the office of disability affairs in accordance with the recommendations of the Governor's Advisory Council on Disability Affairs. The monies in the fund shall be used solely for the operation of the Governor's Office of Disability Affairs and any program designed to provide services to Louisiana citizens with disabilities. Funds not appropriated shall remain to the credit of the fund and not revert to the state general fund nor be diverted to other purposes.

F. The Governor's Advisory Council on Disability Affairs shall determine the eligibility of programs to receive funding after operating expenses of the office have been met.

Acts 1995, No. 573, §2; Acts 1999, No. 1307, §3, eff. July 12, 1999; Acts 2001, No. 508, §2, eff. June 21, 2001; Acts 2004, No. 574, §1.

NOTE: See Acts 1995, No. 573, §5 relative to effectiveness and effective date.
La. Rev. Stat. § 46:1109 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 46 / Section 1109
Waiver, suspension of obligation
Status: in_force

The board shall provide by regulation for waiver or suspension of any financial obligation where compliance would involve extreme or unusual hardship.

Added by Acts 1976, No. 130, §1.
La. Rev. Stat. § 46:460.74 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 46 / Section 460.74
Prior authorization; criteria; notice to providers
Status: in_force

A. The prior authorization requirements of the department and each managed care organization, including prior authorization requirements applicable in the Medicaid pharmacy program, shall either be furnished to the healthcare provider within twenty-four hours of a request for the requirements or posted in an easily searchable format on the website of the respective managed care organization or the department. Information posted in accordance with the requirements of this Section shall include the date of last review.

B. If the department or a managed care organization denies a prior authorization request, then the department or managed care organization shall provide written notice of the denial to the provider requesting the prior authorization within three business days of making the decision. If the denial of the prior authorization by the department or managed care organization is based upon an interpretation of a law, regulation, policy, procedure, or medical criteria or guideline, then the notice shall contain either instructions for accessing the applicable law, regulation, policy, procedure, or medical criteria or guideline in the public domain or an actual copy of that law, regulation, policy, procedure, or medical criteria or guideline.

Acts 2019, No. 330, §1.
La. Rev. Stat. § 46:1056 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 46 / Section 1056
Hospital director and executives
Status: in_force

A. The commission shall enter into a formal written employment agreement with a hospital director, hereafter referred to as "director", who has had experience in the field of hospital administration and is familiar with the principles and methods of hospital and institutional care, and the hospital may enter into a formal written employment agreement with any hospital executive. For purposes of this Section, "hospital executive" includes but is not limited to any senior member of management such as vice president, assistant administrator, or department director. The director and any hospital executive shall be full-time employees of the district or of the hospital management firm. The director shall receive a salary fixed by the commission.

B. If the director and commission enter into a formal written employment agreement, notwithstanding any law to the contrary, such agreement shall bind both parties to its terms. If a hospital executive and hospital, upon the authority of the director, enter into a formal written employment agreement, notwithstanding any law to the contrary, such agreement shall bind both parties to its terms. Such written agreements shall provide for a fixed term of employment, specify the director's or hospital executive's duties, and be renewable for an additional term or terms at the pleasure of the commission or hospital director, respectively. In the absence of a formal written employment agreement, the director shall serve at the pleasure of the commission and the hospital executive shall serve at the pleasure of the director.

C. If a director is found incompetent, inefficient, or unworthy during the term of a written employment agreement, he shall be removable for such cause by a majority vote of the commission at any regular meeting for which the removal appears on the agenda or any special meeting after due notice. The written employment agreement shall also specify that the commission shall give the director official warning and a reasonable opportunity to correct the indicated deficiencies prior to the commission's termination of the agreement.

Acts 1950, No. 420, §6. Amended by Acts 1979, No. 726, §1; Acts 1999, No. 1112, §1; Acts 2017, No. 161, §1; Acts 2018, No. 206, §5.
La. Rev. Stat. § 46:2116.5 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 46 / Section 2116.5
Rules; program retroactive
Status: in_force

A. The secretary of the department or his designee shall develop and maintain a state personal assistance policy plan which shall include but not be limited to the following:

(1) Criteria for eligibility of a person with significant disabilities for the services.

(2) Criteria for determining the goods and services to be provided to a person with significant disabilities.

(3) Determination of how program funds will be disbursed.

(4) Criteria for determining prioritization of the State Personal Assistance Services Program waiting list.

B. The secretary shall promulgate rules to implement this Chapter.

C. The department shall implement this Chapter to the extent funds are appropriated by the legislature.

D. Repealed by Acts 2014, No. 493, §2, eff. June 5, 2014.

Acts 1987, No. 781, §1; Acts 1990, No. 653, §1, eff. July 19, 1990; Acts 1995, No. 1198, §2; Acts 2006, No. 617, §1; Acts 2014, No. 493, §§1, 2, eff. June 5, 2014.
La. Rev. Stat. § 46:2522 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 46 / Section 2522
Powers and duties
Status: in_force

The office shall have the following powers and duties:

(1) To collect facts and statistics and make special studies of conditions pertaining to the employment, health, safety, and financial status of women, and which otherwise affect the welfare of women.

(2) To develop and implement a comprehensive strategic plan to address the employment, health, safety, and financial status of women, and which otherwise affect the welfare of women.

(3) To evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of programs that provide services to women.

(4) To keep abreast of the latest developments concerning women in Louisiana and throughout the nation for public information and to advise state agencies.

(5) To keep abreast of federal funds and other funding sources available for services and programs to women and to assist state departments and agencies in drafting plans to maximize use of such funds.

(6) To provide technical assistance to the Women's Policy and Research Commission.

(7) To maintain a current listing of public and private women's organizations and agencies throughout the state.

(8) To maintain a current listing for the governor, other elected officials and nominating entities or officials, of women qualified to serve in administrative positions or on boards and commissions, which shall be circulated monthly to such elected and nominating officials.

(9) To request data and assistance from state departments or agencies of the state related to the welfare of women. When the office on women's policy requests a state department or agency to provide needed data or assistance, the department shall give priority to such request and shall provide such data or assistance as requested. The office on women's policy shall maintain the confidentiality of any information or records provided to it, as required by laws relative to such records and information.

(10) To perform the functions reasonably necessary to accomplish the purposes for which the office is created.

(11) Repealed by Acts 2009, No. 409, §7, effective July 1, 2009.

Acts 1985, No. 772, §1, eff. July 19, 1985; Acts 2003, No. 668, §2, eff. June 27, 2003; Acts 2009, No. 409, §7, eff. July 1, 2009.
La. Rev. Stat. § 46:460.42 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 46 / Section 460.42
Claims payment for care rendered to newborns; reporting
Status: in_force

A. Each managed care organization shall compensate, at a minimum, ninety percent of the Medicaid fee-for-service rate in effect for each service coded as a primary care service rendered to a newborn Medicaid beneficiary within thirty days of the beneficiary's birth regardless of whether the Medicaid provider rendering the services is contracted with the managed care organization, but subject to the same requirements as a contracted provider.

B. On or before January 1, 2014, and annually thereafter, the department shall report to the House and Senate committees on health and welfare the incidence and causes of all re-hospitalizations of infants born premature at less than thirty-seven weeks gestational age and who are within the first six months of life.

Acts 2013, No. 311, §1.
La. Rev. Stat. § 46:434 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 46 / Section 434
Final discharge of curator
Status: in_force

A. The curator shall be discharged from his duties for any of the following reasons:

(1) Upon the interdiction of the incompetent person under existing law.

(2) Upon proper proof to the court that the incompetent person has become sufficiently competent to administer his public assistance benefits.

(3) Upon the signing of an order by the court that made the original appointment, upon its own motion, or otherwise, terminating the appointment of the curator for any other reason.

B. Upon being discharged, the curator shall render a full and final accounting to the court of his administration; and upon so doing, the curator shall be relieved from any further responsibility and his bond shall be cancelled and whatever other security may have been given shall be released.

Added by Acts 1950, No. 166, §1. Amended by Acts 1956, No. 177, §1; Acts 1960, No. 61, §1; Acts 1961, No. 15, §1; Acts 2025, No. 478, §12, eff. Oct. 1, 2025.
La. Rev. Stat. § 46:2521 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 46 / Section 2521
Governor's office on women's policy
Status: in_force

There is hereby created the office on women's policy within the office of the governor. The office shall exercise the powers and duties hereinafter set forth or otherwise provided by law. The office shall be administered by an executive director who shall be appointed by the governor, subject to confirmation by the Senate, to serve at his pleasure. The executive director shall employ necessary staff to carry out the duties and functions of the office as provided in this Chapter or as otherwise provided by law.

Acts 1985, No. 772, §1, eff. July 19, 1985; Acts 2003, No. 668, §2, eff. June 27, 2003; Acts 2010, No. 774, §1, eff. June 30, 2010.
La. Rev. Stat. § 46:932 — LA Code / Code revised-statutes / Title 46 / Section 932
Powers and duties
Status: in_force

NOTE: Intro. para. of §932 eff. until one or more of the 20 depts. of the executive branch is abolished or a const. amend. authorizing the creation of an additional dept. becomes effective, whichever is earlier. See Acts 2013, No. 384, §§5 and 9.

The office shall have the following powers and duties:

NOTE: Intro. para. of §932 as amended by Acts 2013, No. 384, §5, eff. when one or more of the 20 depts. of the executive branch is abolished or a const. amend. authorizing the creation of an additional dept. becomes effective, whichever is earlier.

The department shall have the following powers and duties:

(1) To administer the Older Americans Act 1 and related programs.

(2) To collect facts and statistics and make special studies of conditions pertaining to the employment, health, financial status, recreation, social adjustment, or other conditions affecting the welfare of the aged.

(3) To keep abreast of the latest developments in aging throughout the nation and to interpret such findings to the public.

(4) To provide for a mutual exchange of ideas and information on national, state, and local levels.

(5) To conduct hearings and subpoena witnesses.

(6) To make recommendations to the governor and to the legislature for needed improvements and additional resources to promote the welfare of the aging in the state.

(7) To coordinate the services of all state agencies serving the elderly and require reports from such state agencies and institutions, including carrying out the provisions of R.S. 46:935.

(8) To adopt and promulgate rules and regulations that are deemed necessary to implement the provisions of this Chapter in accordance with the provisions of the Administrative Procedure Act.

(9) To exercise the functions of the state relative to nutrition programs for the citizens of Louisiana who are elderly or have disabilities.

(10) To perform the functions of the state which are designed to meet the social and community needs of Louisiana residents sixty years of age or older, including but not limited to the provision of such comprehensive social programs as homemaker services, home repair and maintenance services, employment and training services, recreational and transportation services, counseling, information and referral services, protective services under R.S. 15:1501 et seq., and health-related outreach; but excluding the transportation program for persons who are elderly or have disabilities administered by the Department of Transportation and Development under Section 16(b)(2) of the Federal Urban Mass Transportation Act of 1964 as amended and other such programs and services assigned to departments of state government as provided in Title 36 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950.

(11) Repealed by Acts 2001, No. 1185, §10, eff. July 10, 2002.

NOTE: Paragraph (12) eff. until Oct. 1, 2027. See Acts 2025, No. 478.

(12) To administer all federal funds appropriated, allocated, or otherwise made available to the state for services to the elderly, whether by block grant or in any other form, with the exception of funds for programs administered by the Department of Children and Family Services or the Louisiana Department of Health, on August 15, 1995, or the Louisiana Department of Health on October 1, 2025, and to distribute those funds in accordance with and consistent with R.S. 46:936.

NOTE: Paragraph (12) as amended by Acts 2025, No. 478, eff. Oct. 1, 2027.

(12) To administer all federal funds appropriated, allocated, or otherwise made available to the state for services to the elderly, whether by block grant or in any other form, with the exception of funds for programs administered by the Department of Children and Family Services or the Louisiana Department of Health, on August 15, 1995, the Louisiana Department of Health on October 1, 2025, or Louisiana Works on October 1, 2027, and to distribute those funds in accordance with and consistent with R.S. 46:936.

(13)(a) To develop a plan on the best method to efficiently coordinate services to all elderly citizens in the state. The plan shall include but not be limited to the following:

(i) Recommendations to meet the long-term care needs of Louisiana residents, including home and community-based services as well as those services delivered in an institutional setting.

(ii) Recommendations on eliminating the duplication of services with other departments and agencies which provide services to the elderly.

(b) The plan shall be developed in consultation and cooperation with private organizations and with other public agencies providing services or funding services for the elderly.

(c) Repealed by Acts 2018, No. 206, §8.

NOTE: Paragraph (14) eff. until one or more of the 20 depts. of the executive branch is abolished or a const. amend. authorizing the creation of an additional dept. becomes effective, whichever is earlier. See Acts 2013, No. 384, §§5 and 9.

(14) To approve recommendations from any parish voluntary council on aging prior to the creation of any new state-funded senior center in the state. Recommendations from a parish voluntary council on aging and approval by the office of elderly affairs shall be based on need for a new facility and whether the proposed facility will meet the criteria for a senior center as defined in the policies and regulations established by the office of elderly affairs.

NOTE: Paragraph (14) as amended by Acts 2013, No. 384, §5, eff. when one or more of the 20 depts. of the executive branch is abolished or a const. amend. authorizing the creation of an additional dept. becomes effective, whichever is earlier.

(14) To approve recommendations from any parish voluntary council on aging prior to the creation of any new state-funded senior center in the state. Recommendations from a parish voluntary council on aging and approval by the Department of Elderly Affairs shall be based on need for a new facility and whether the proposed facility will meet the criteria for a senior center as defined in the policies and regulations established by the Department of Elderly Affairs.

Acts 1979, No. 206, §1, eff. July 6, 1979. Amended by Acts 1981, Ex.Sess., No. 24, §1, eff. Nov. 19, 1981; 1982, No. 842, §2, eff. Aug. 4, 1982; Acts 1984, No. 520, §2, eff. July 1, 1984; Acts 1987, No. 536, §2; Acts 1992, No. 975, §3, eff. July 7, 1992; Acts 1992, No. 984, §18; Acts 1995, No. 1033, §2, eff. June 29, 1995; Acts 1995, No. 1134, §1, eff. June 29, 1995; Acts 1995, No. 1222, §1; Acts 1997, No. 1182, §1; Acts 2001, No. 1185, §10, eff. July 1, 2002; Acts 2010, No. 861, §20; Acts 2010, No. 877, §3, eff. July 1, 2010; Acts 2013, No. 384, §5, eff. when one of the 20 executive branch depts. is abolished or a const. amend. authorizing creation of an additional dept. becomes effective, whichever is earlier; Acts 2014, No. 811, §24, eff. June 23, 2014; Acts 2018, No. 206, §§5, 8; Acts 2025, No. 478, §12, eff. Oct. 1, 2025, §13, eff. Oct. 1, 2027.

1 42 U.S.C.A. §3001 et seq.