Governor Jindal Signs Legislation to Help Ensure Safety of Louisiana's Children

Press Release

Today, Governor Bobby Jindal signed SB 586 by Senator Dorsey-Colomb, which creates the new crime of "re-homing" of a child to deter and help eradicate the sale of children in Louisiana. This legislation is part of Governor Jindal's 2014 Legislative Package.

Governor Jindal said, "Our children are precious and we must do everything we can to protect them. This legislation will further crack down on perpetrators who sell or transfer a minor child to another person for payment or value. It is almost unthinkable, but these sales and transfers of children are actually happening in our state, and this new law will allow us to prosecute these heinous acts to the fullest extent of the law. It will also require jail time and strengthen penalties for these crimes against our children, allowing us to get more of these offenders off of our streets so we can better protect our most vulnerable."

A violation of this new law can result in up to 5 years imprisonment and up to $5,000 in fines. SB 586 defines "re-homing" of a child to mean any transaction or action -- electronic or otherwise -- by a parent or individual with custody of a child who intends to avoid or divest himself of permanent parental responsibility by placing the child in physical custody of a nonrelative, without court approval. It is also defined as the selling, transferring or arranging for sale or transfer of a minor child to another person or entity for anything of value, or to receive a minor child for payment.

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