2014 Louisiana Laws
Revised Statutes
TITLE 14 - Criminal Law
RS 14:403.8 - Failure to report the death of a child
§403.8. Failure to report the death of a child
A. It shall be unlawful for a child's caretaker to fail to report to an appropriate authority the death of a child that occurs while the child is in the physical custody of the caretaker, within one hour of the caretaker's discovery of the child's death or one hour of the caretaker learning of the location of the child's body.
B. For purposes of this Section:
(1) "Appropriate authority" shall include any of the following:
(a) A state or local law enforcement agency.
(b) A 911 Public Safety Answering Point as provided in Title 33 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950.
(c) The coroner of the parish in which the child's body is located.
(d) Emergency medical personnel.
(2) "Caretaker" shall include the child's parent, grandparent, guardian, or any person who, at the time of the child's death, has physical custody of the child.
(3) "Child" means any person under the age of seventeen years.
C. Whoever violates the provisions of this Section shall be fined not more than five thousand dollars and shall be imprisoned, with or without hard labor, for not more than five years.
D. The period of time in which a caretaker is required to report the death of a child as required by Subsection A of this Section shall be suspended for the period of time in which the caretaker is unable to make a report due to circumstances beyond his control.
Acts 2012, No. 454, §1; Acts 2012, No. 477, §1, eff. June 3, 2012.
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