Louisiana SB 237: CHILDREN: Provides relative to child welfare. (8/1/26) (EN NO IMPACT See Note)

Bill Text

2026 Regular Session ENROLLED
SENATE BILL NO. 237
BY SENATORS BARROW, BARTHELEMY, BOUDREAUX, CARTER, DUPLESSIS,
FESI, JENKINS, MIZELL, PRICE AND WHEAT AND
REPRESENTATIVES ADAMS, BAMBURG, BERAULT, BILLINGS,
BOUDREAUX, BOYD, BOYER, BRASS, BROUSSARD,
CARPENTER, CARRIER, CARVER, CHASSION, COATES, COX,
DEWITT, DICKERSON, DOMANGUE, ECHOLS, EDMONSTON,
EGAN, FISHER, FREEMAN, FREIBERG, GLORIOSO, GREEN,
HEBERT, JACKSON, MIKE JOHNSON, JORDAN, KERNER, KNOX,
LAFLEUR, JACOB LANDRY, TERRY LANDRY, LYONS, MACK,
MARCELLE, MCMAKIN, MILLER, OWEN, RISER, SCHLEGEL,
SPELL, ST. BLANC, TAYLOR, VENTRELLA, WRIGHT AND
WYBLE
1 AN ACT
2 To amend and reenact R.S. 24:525(C)(5), (6), and (13) and (D) through (G), R.S.
3 44:4.1(B)(32), R.S. 46:56(F)(1), (2), (8), (9)(a), (e), (g), and (10)(a), Children's Code
4 Arts. 508, 511(D), 609(A)(3), 610(A)(4)(a) and (D) through (H), 612(A), (B), and
5 (C), 619(A)(1), 620(A), and 725.5(A), to enact R.S. 24:525(H), R.S. 42:17(A)(12),
6 R.S. 46:1(7), 51(17) and (18), 52.2, R.S. 49:191(2)(h) and Children's Code Arts.
7 512(E), 524(B)(13), and 603(17)(p) and (33), and to repeal R.S. 49:191(1)(h) and
8 Children's Code Arts. 509 and 610(I), relative to child welfare; to provide for the
9 duties and responsibilities of the state child ombudsman; to provide for the duties
10 and responsibilities of the Department of Children and Family Services; to provide
11 for exceptions to public meetings; to provide for confidentiality; to provide for a
12 critical incident review team; to provide for multidisciplinary investigative teams;
13 to provide for forensic interviews; to provide for definitions; to provide for
14 mandatory reporter training; to provide for child abuse and neglect reporting
15 procedures; to provide for the assignment of reports for investigation and
16 assessment; to provide for instanter custody orders; to provide for the re-creation of
17 the Department of Children and Family Services and the statutory entities made a
18 part of the department by law; to provide for the effective termination date for all
19 statutory authority for the existence of such statutory entities; to provide for
20 implementation; to provide for effectiveness; and to provide for related matters.
21 Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
ACT No. 960
Page 1 of 22
Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law;
words in boldface type and underscored are additions.

SB NO. 237 ENROLLED
1 Section 1. R.S. 24:525(C)(5), (6), and (13) and (D) through (G) are hereby amended
2 and reenacted and R.S. 24:525(H) is hereby enacted to read as follows:
3 §525. State child ombudsman; duties
4 * * *
5 C. The state child ombudsman shall have all of the following duties and
6 responsibilities:
7 * * *
8 (5) Periodically review the facilities and procedures of any institution or
9 residences residence, public or private, where a child has been placed by any state
10 agency or department.
11 (a) For purposes of this Section, the term "residences residence" means
12 congregate care facilities and does not include foster homes.
13 (b) For purposes of this Section, the term "access" means policies and
14 availability of services.
15 (6) Recommend changes in state policies concerning children, including
16 changes in the system of providing juvenile justice, child care childcare assistance,
17 foster care, and access to physical and mental health treatment.
18 * * *
19 (13)(a) Notify the senator and representative who represent the district in
20 which a child has died as a result of abuse or neglect, within twenty-four hours of his
21 knowledge of the death of the child. Notify all of the following within twenty-four
22 hours of being notified by the department of the fatality or near fatality of a
23 child:
24 (i) The senator and representative who represent the district in which a
25 child who has died, as a result of abuse or neglect, resided or, if unknown, the
26 district in which the child died.
27 (ii) The speaker pro tempore of the House of Representatives.
28 (iii) The president pro tempore of the Senate.
29 (iv) The chairs of the House and Senate committees on health and
30 welfare.
Page 2 of 22
Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law;
words in boldface type and underscored are additions.

SB NO. 237 ENROLLED
1 (b) The notification shall include the information provided to the state
2 child ombudsman pursuant to Subparagraphs (E)(1)(a) through (d) of this
3 Section.
4 D.(1) Any state agency having responsibility for the custody or care of
5 children shall provide monthly notice to the state child ombudsman of the death of
6 a child in its custody or care.
7 (2) E.(1) The Department of Children and Family Services shall notify the
8 state child ombudsman in writing within three business days of receiving
9 information on the death a report of a fatality or near fatality of any child that had
10 been reported to the department for alleged whose fatality or near fatality i