2017 Louisiana Laws
Revised Statutes
TITLE 15 - Criminal Procedure
RS 15:542.1.5 - State Sex Offender and Child Predator Registry; duties of the Louisiana Bureau of Criminal Identification and Information

§542.1.5. State Sex Offender and Child Predator Registry; duties of the Louisiana Bureau of Criminal Identification and Information

            A.(1) The Louisiana Bureau of Criminal Identification and Information shall develop and maintain the central registry known as the State Sex Offender and Child Predator Registry. The registry shall contain the information transmitted to the bureau pursuant to the provisions of this Chapter and shall be developed and maintained in accordance with the provisions of the federal Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006 and any federal guidelines adopted pursuant thereto. Upon receipt of the registration and information of any person subject to the provisions of this Chapter, including juveniles required to register, the bureau shall immediately enter the appropriate information in the public registry. The bureau shall accept electronically submitted information and registration renewal information from law enforcement.

            (2)(a) The bureau shall provide for public access to the information contained in the registry, including Internet-based access, which shall have field-search capabilities which comply with the provisions of the federal Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006 and any federal guidelines adopted pursuant thereto.

            (b) Notwithstanding the provisions of Subparagraph (2)(a) of this Subsection, the following information shall be exempt from public access as well as any other mandatory exemptions which are required by the federal Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006 and any federal guidelines adopted pursuant thereto:

            (i) Social security numbers.

            (ii) Names of the victims of the offenses requiring registration.

            (iii) Any information with regard to arrests that did not result in convictions.

            (iv) Telephone numbers, subject to the provisions of Subparagraphs (b) and (c) of this Paragraph.

            (v) Travel and immigration documents.

            (vi) E-mail addresses, online screen names, or other online identities used by offenders to communicate on the internet, subject to the provisions of Subparagraphs (b) and (c) of this Paragraph.

            (c) Notwithstanding the provisions of Subparagraph (2)(b) of this Subsection which provides for exemptions to public access of telephone numbers, e-mail addresses, online screen names, or other online identities, the registry shall contain the ability to search by telephone numbers, e-mail addresses, online screen names, or other online identities to provide information to the person conducting the search regarding whether or not that information has been linked to a sex offender or child predator. This search shall not disclose the name or any other identifying information about the offender to the person conducting the search, except to identify that the information has been linked to a sex offender or child predator.

            (d) Notwithstanding the provisions of Subparagraphs (2)(b) and (c) of this Subsection, the bureau shall, upon request by any person or entity in a manner prescribed by the bureau, provide a list of telephone numbers, e-mail addresses, online screen names, static internet protocol addresses, or other online identities of persons in the State Sex Offender and Child Predator Registry for the purpose of identifying and monitoring a registered user associated with the telephone number, e-mail address, online screen name, static internet protocol address, or other online identity. The information provided to the person or entity shall not disclose the name or other identifying information of the sex offender that is associated with, or who is using, any of the telephone numbers, e-mail addresses, online screen names, static internet protocol addresses, or other online identities in the provided list.

            B. The bureau shall develop and maintain the registry as to provide for automatic e-mail notifications at the time in which an offender begins residence, employment, or school attendance within a certain geographic radius or zip code. This function of the registry shall allow members of the public and organizations to request automatic e-mail notifications to be sent to an e-mail address provided by the requestor for a certain geographic radius or zip code specified by the requestor.

            C. The bureau shall participate in the Dru Sjodin National Sex Offender Registry in accordance with the provisions of the federal Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006 and any federal guidelines adopted pursuant thereto.

            D.(1) Immediately upon entry of the required information into the registry, the bureau shall notify the sheriff of the parish in which the offender's address of residence is located, and the chief of police if the address is located in an incorporated area which has a police department. Additionally, the bureau shall notify the sheriff of the parish in which the offender is employed or attends school.

            (2) Immediately upon entry of the required information into the registry, the bureau shall transmit to the Federal Bureau of Investigation the conviction data and fingerprints of the offender registered.

            (3) Immediately upon entry of information that a person required to register under this Section is enrolled as a student or employed as a worker at any institution of postsecondary education into the registry, the bureau shall notify all law enforcement agencies having jurisdiction over the institution at which the offender is enrolled or employed, including but not limited to the campus law enforcement agency.

            E. The bureau is hereby designated as the state agency to receive information regarding out-of-state sex offenders and child predators who establish a residence in this state pursuant to R.S. 15:542.1.3.

            F. The bureau may promulgate rules and regulations in accordance with the Administrative Procedure Act to implement the provisions of this Chapter, provided that such rules and regulations are promulgated in accordance with the federal Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006 and any federal guidelines adopted pursuant thereto.

            G.(1) The bureau shall provide for the capability which would allow a social networking web site to compare the database of registered users of that social networking web site to the list of electronic mail addresses, instant message addresses, and other similar online identifiers of persons in the State Sex Offender and Child Predator Registry.

            (2) A social networking web site desiring to compare its database of registered users to the list of electronic mail addresses, instant message addresses, and other online identifiers of persons in the registry shall provide to the bureau all of the following information:

            (a) The name, address, and telephone number of the entity operating the social networking web site.

            (b) The legal nature and corporate status of the entity operating the social networking web site.

            (c) A statement signed by the chief legal officer of the social networking web site to the effect that the information obtained from the registry shall not be disclosed for any purpose other than for comparing the database of registered users of the social networking web site against the list of electronic mail addresses, instant message addresses, and other online identifiers of persons contained in the state registry to protect children from online sexual predators, and that disclosure of this information for any other purpose may be unlawful.

            (d) The name, address, and telephone number of a natural person who is authorized to receive service of process for the entity operating the social networking web site.

            (3) After complying with the requirements of Paragraph (1) of this Subsection, the entity operating the social networking web site may screen users or compare its database of registered users to the list of electronic mail addresses, instant message addresses, and other online identifiers of persons contained in the State Sex Offender and Child Predator Registry as frequently as the bureau will allow for the purpose of identifying, monitoring, or removing a registered user associated with electronic mail addresses, instant message addresses, and other online identifiers contained in the registry.

            (4) An entity operating a social networking web site which complies with the provisions of Paragraphs (2) and (3) of this Subsection, the entity, its directors, officers, employees, or agents may claim such compliance as a defense to a claim for liability arising against the entity or such persons.

            Acts 2007, No. 460, §2, eff. Jan. 1, 2008; Acts 2008, No. 273, §1; Acts 2008, No. 816, §1; Acts 2016, No. 375, §1.