2015 Louisiana Laws
Revised Statutes
TITLE 14 - Criminal Law
RS 14:403.3 - Reports of missing children; procedures; false reports or communications; penalties

§403.3. Reports of missing children; procedures; false reports or communications; penalties

A.(1) Any state or local law enforcement agency receiving a report of a missing child, or the recovery of a missing child, and having reasonable grounds to believe such report is accurate shall within forty-eight hours after the date of receipt of the report notify each of the following of the fact and contents of such report:

(a) The Department of Health and Human Resources.

(b) The Department of Public Safety and Corrections, if it did not originally receive the report.

(c) The office of the sheriff for the parish in which such report was received, if it did not originally receive the report.

(d) The office of the sheriff for all parishes adjacent to the parish in which such report was received.

(e) The National Crime Information Computer System.

(2) The law enforcement agency may also notify any other appropriate local, state, or federal agency of the fact and contents of such report.

B. No person shall knowingly file a false missing child report with a law enforcement agency.

C. No person shall intentionally communicate false information concerning a missing child, or the recovery of a missing child, to a law enforcement agency when such information is communicated with the specific intent to delay or otherwise hinder an investigation to locate the child.

D. Whoever violates the provisions of Subsection B of this Section shall be fined not more than two thousand dollars or be imprisoned for not more than one year, with or without hard labor, or both.

E. Whoever violates the provisions of Subsection C of this Section shall be imprisoned at hard labor for not more than five years.

Acts 1985, No. 393, §1; Acts 2005, No. 503, §1; Acts 2012, No. 446, §1; Acts 2012, No. 454, §1; Acts 2012, No. 477, §1, eff. June 3, 2012.