HB 579 — CRIMINAL/VICTIMS: Provides relative to the rights of survivors of sexual assault

HLSENROLLED 26RS-923 ENGROSSED Regular Session HOUSE BILL NO.

579 BY REPRESENTATIVEREPRESENTATIVES LAFLEURLAFLEUR, CRIMINAL/VICTIMS:BOUDREAUX, BOYD, BRASS, BRYANT, WILFORD CARTER, CHASSION, FREEMAN, FREIBERG, GREEN, DANA HENRY, KERNER, LACOMBE, MANDIE LANDRY, TERRY LANDRY, LARVADAIN, LYONS, MARCELLE, MOORE, MURRAY, NEWELL, SPELL, STAGNI, TAYLOR, WALTERS, AND YOUNG AN ACT To amend and reenact R.S.

Provides46:1844(O)(1) relativeand to(W)(1)(a) theand rights1845(C)(2) ofand survivors(12) ofand(D) sexual assault AN ACT To amend and reenactto R.S.enactR.S.

46:1844(O)(1)46:1844(W)(1)(d) and (W)(1)(a)1845(C)(13), andrelative 1845(C)(2)to andthe (D)Sexual andAssault toSurvivor enactR.S.Bill of Rights;

46:1844(W)(1)(d),relative to the Sexual AssaultSurvivorBill ofRights;

to provide relative tothepreservationofsexualassaultcollectionkits;toprovidefortheconfidentialityto the preservation of certainsexual information;assault collection kits;

to provide for the confidentiality of certain information;

46:1844(O)(1) and (W)(1)(a) and 1845(C)(2) and (12) and (D) are hereby amended and reenacted and R.S.

46:1844(W)(1)(d) isand herebyenacted1845(C)(13) are hereby enacted to read as follows:

The victim or victim's family shall have the Pageright 1to ofmakewrittenandoralstatementsastotheimpactofthecrimeatanyhearing 5before CODING:the board or committee and to rebut any statements or evidence introduced by the inmate or defendant.

The victim or the victim's family, a victim advocacy Page 1 of 4 CODING:

HLS 26RS-923 ENGROSSED HB NO.

579 rightENROLLED togroup,andthedistrictattorneyorhisrepresentativemayalsoappearbeforetheboard makewrittenandoralstatementsasto theimpactofthecrimeatanyhearing before the board or committee andin toperson rebut any statements or evidencebymeans introducedof byteleconferenceor thetelephone inmatecommunication. or defendant.

The victim or the victim's family, a victim advocacy group,andthedistrictattorneyorhisrepresentativemayalsoappearbeforetheboard or committee in person or bymeans of teleconferenceor telephone communication.

(1)(a) In order to protect the identity and provide for the safety and welfare of crime victims who are minors under the age of eighteen years and of victims of sex offenses or human trafficking-related offenses, notwithstanding any provision oflawtothecontrary,allpublicoflawto officialsandofficersandpublicagencies,includingthecontrary, allpublicofficialsandofficersandpublicagencies,including but not limited to all law enforcement agencies, sheriffs, district attorneys, judicial officers, clerks of court, the Crime Victims Reparations Board, and the Department of Children and Family Services or any division thereof, shall not publiclydisclosepublicly disclose the name, address, contact information, or identityidentityof of crime victims who at the time of the commission of the offense are minors under eighteen years of age or of victims of sex offenses or human trafficking-related offenses, regardless of the date of commission of the offense.

ThepublicdisclosureofthenameofthejuvenileThepublic crimevictimdisclosureofthenameofthejuvenilecrime victim byany public official or officer or public agencyagencyis is not prohibited bythis Subsection when the crime resulted in the death of the victim.

* * * Page(d) 2The provisions of 5Subparagraphs CODING:(a) and (b) of this Paragraph shall not apply to the following:

Page 2 of 4 CODING:

HLS 26RS-923 ENGROSSED HB NO.

579 (d)ENROLLED The(i) provisionsExceptasprovidedinItem(d)(ii),aminorundertheageofeighteenyears ofwhois Subparagraphsthevictim (a)ofanycriminalhomicideenumeratedinR.S. and (b) of this Paragraph shall not apply to the following:

(i) ExceptasprovidedinItem(d)(ii),aminorundertheageofeighteenyears whois thevictimofanycriminal homicideenumeratedin R.S.

* * * (2) TheTheright right to havehavean anunreporteda unreportedasexualassaultcollectionkitsexual assault collectionkit preserved, without charge, for at least twenty years for the maximum period provided by law or policy, but in no event fewer than twentyyears.

* * * D.(12) The right to be notified of all of the rights contained in this Subsection.

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

D.

Any discretionary funds provided to the state through the Services, Training, Officers, and Prosecutors (STOP) Violence Against Women Formula Grant Program, administered bythe OfficeOfficeon on Violence Against Women (OVW), shall be used to update and provide information on the notice required in accordance with this Act.

PageSection 33. of 5 CODING:

This Act shall become effectiveupon signature bythe governor or, if not signedbythegovernor,uponexpirationofthetimeforbillstobecomelawwithoutsignature Page 3 of 4 CODING:

HLS 26RS-923 ENGROSSED HB NO.

579 DIGESTENROLLED ThedigestprintedbelowwaspreparedbyHouseLegislativeby Services.the governor, as provided by Article III, Section 18 of the Constitution of Louisiana.

ItIf constitutesvetoed nopartbythe ofgovernorand subsequentlyapprovedbythe legislature, this Act shall become effective on the legislativedayfollowing instrument.such approval.

TheSPEAKER keyword,OF one-liner,THE abstract,HOUSE andOF digestREPRESENTATIVES doPRESIDENT notOF constituteTHE partSENATE ofGOVERNOR theOF lawTHE orSTATE proofOF orLOUISIANA indiciaAPPROVED: of legislative intent.

[R.S.Page 4 of 4 CODING:

1:13(B) and 24:177(E)] HB 579 Engrossed 2026 Regular Session LaFleur Abstract:

Expands and clarifies protections and rights of sexual assault survivors.

Present law provides a survivor of sexual assault the right to make a written and oral statement as to the impact of the crime at any hearing before the Bd.

of Pardons or the committee on parole.

Proposed law retains present law and authorizes a victim to direct a statement to the inmate or defendant unless the statement disrupts the decorum of the hearing.

Present law provides that public disclosure of the name of a juvenile crime victim by a public official, officer,or agencyis not prohibited when the crime results in the deathofthe victim.

Proposed law deletes present law.