2023 Louisiana Laws › Revised Statutes › Title 14 - Criminal Law › §14:91.2. Unlawful presence of a sex offender

RS 14:91.2 - Unlawful presence of a sex offender
A. The following acts when committed by a person convicted of a sex offense as defined in R.S. 15:541 when the victim is under the age of thirteen years shall constitute the crime of unlawful residence or presence of a sex offender:
(1) The physical presence of the offender in, on, or within one thousand feet of the school property of any public or private elementary or secondary school or the physical presence in any motor vehicle or other means of conveyance owned, leased, or contracted by such school to transport students to or from school or a school-related activity when persons under the age of eighteen years are present on the school property or in a school vehicle.
(2) The offender establishing a residence within one thousand feet of any of the following:
(a) Public or private elementary or secondary school.
(b) Early learning center as defined by R.S. 17:407.33.
(c) Residence in which child care services are provided by a family child care provider or in-home provider who is registered pursuant to R.S. 17:407.61 et seq.
(d) Residential home as defined by R.S. 46:1403.
(3) The physical presence of the offender in, on, or within one thousand feet of any of the following:
(a) Public park or recreational facility.
(b) Early learning center as defined by R.S. 17:407.33.
(c) Residence in which child care services are provided by a family child care provider or in-home provider who is registered pursuant to R.S. 17:407.61 et seq.
(d) Residential home as defined by R.S. 46:1403.
(4) The offender establishing a residence within one thousand feet of any public park or recreational facility.
(5) The physical presence of the offender in or on public library property.
(6) Loitering within one thousand feet of public library property.
B. The following acts, when committed by a person convicted of an aggravated offense as defined in R.S. 15:541 when the victim is under the age of thirteen years, shall constitute the crime of unlawful residence or presence of a sex offender:
(1) The physical presence of the offender in, on, or within one thousand feet of any of the following:
(a) Early learning center as defined by R.S. 17:407.33.
(b) Residence in which child care services are provided by a family child care provider or in-home provider who is registered pursuant to R.S. 17:407.61 et seq.
(c) Residential home as defined by R.S. 46:1403.
(2) The establishment of a residence within one thousand feet of any of the following:
(a) Early learning center as defined by R.S. 17:407.33.
(b) Residence in which child care services are provided by a family child care provider or in-home provider who is registered pursuant to R.S. 17:407.61 et seq.
(c) Residential home as defined by R.S. 46:1403.
(d) Playground.
(e) Public or private youth center.
(f) Public swimming pool.
(g) Free standing video arcade facility.
C.(1) It shall not be a violation of the provisions of this Section if the offender has permission to be present on school premises from the superintendent of the school board in the case of a public school or the principal or headmaster in the case of a private school.
(2) If permission is granted to an offender to be present on public school property by the superintendent for that public school pursuant to this Subsection, then the superintendent shall notify the principal at least twenty-four hours in advance of the visit by the offender. This notification shall include the nature of the visit and the date and time in which the sex offender will be present in the school. The offender shall notify the office of the principal upon arrival on the school property and upon departing from the school. If the offender is to be present in the vicinity of children, the offender shall remain under the direct supervision of a school official.
(3) Any superintendent, principal, or school master who acts in good faith in compliance with this Subsection shall be immune from civil or criminal liability for his actions in connection with any injury or claim arising from an offender being present on school property pursuant to permission granted by that superintendent, principal, or school master.
D.(1) It shall not be a violation of this Section if the offender has complied with all regulations of the governing board of the public library that restrict access of sex offenders to public library property.
(2) By January 1, 2013, each governing board of a public library shall develop and implement a plan to regulate access of sex offenders to the public library property under its jurisdiction.
(3) Each governing board of a public library shall tailor its regulations to reasonably restrict the time, place, and manner of access to public library property and shall narrowly tailor the regulations to serve the significant governmental interest of protecting children from contact with sex offenders.
(4) The State Library of Louisiana shall provide technical assistance in the development of the regulations by the governing boards. Such assistance shall guide the governing boards to develop, to the extent practicable, regulations that are uniform and ensure fair and consistent application across jurisdictions.
(5) Any public servant, including any head librarian, member of a governing board of a public library, staff and volunteers of a public library, and the state of Louisiana, who acts in good faith in compliance with this Subsection shall be immune from civil and criminal liability for his actions in connection with any injury or claim arising from a sex offender being present on public library property.
(6) Nothing in this Subsection shall prevent a public library from adopting a total ban on a sex offender's access to public library property, provided that the governing board complies with the criteria set forth in Paragraph (3) of this Subsection.
(7) No provision of this Subsection shall apply when the sex offender is reporting to a police station or a court house which is within the distance specified herein from a library.
E. For purposes of this Section:
(1) "Governing board of the public library" means a library board of control or other public body responsible for the operations of a public library.
(2) "Loitering" means to linger, remain, or prowl in a public place or on the premises of another for a protracted period of time without lawful business or reason to be present.
(3) "Public library" means a parish or municipal library provided for by Chapter 3 of Title 25 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950.
(4) "Public library property" means immovable property that is open to the public and is used as a branch of a parish or municipal public library, including any courtyard or parking lot that is under the direct and exclusive control of the public library.
(5) "Public park or recreational facility" means any building or area owned by the state or by a political subdivision that is open to the public and used or operated as a park or recreational facility and shall include all parks and recreational areas administered by the office of state parks in the Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism.
(6) "School property" means any property used for school purposes, including but not limited to school buildings, playgrounds, and parking lots.
F. Whoever violates the provisions of this Section shall be fined not more than one thousand dollars, imprisoned with or without hard labor for not more than one year, or both.
Acts 2006, No. 40, §1; Acts 2009, No. 210, §1, eff. Sept. 1, 2009; Acts 2012, No. 191, §1; Acts 2012, No. 693, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 2013; Acts 2018, No. 5, §1.