SEX OFFENSE/REGISTRY: Provides relative to sex offender registration and notification requirements

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2026 Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. 784
BY REPRESENTATIVE COX
SEX OFFENSE/REGISTRY: Provides relative to sex offender registration and notification
requirements
1 AN ACT
2 To amend and reenact R.S. 15:541(24)(a), (25)(b) through (o), 542(C)(1)(introductory
3 paragraph) and (2), 542.1(A)(introductory paragraph) and (2)(a) and (c) and (d), and
4 543.1, to enact R.S. 15:541(25)(p) and (q), 542.1(A)(2)(e), and 542.1.2(A)(5), and
5 to repeal R.S. 15:542.1(A)(1)(e), relative to sex offender registration and notification
6 requirements; to provide relative to criminal offenses that constitute a sex offense
7 and sexual offenses against a victim who is a minor; to provide relative to sex
8 offender registration and notification requirements and procedures; provides relative
9 to duties of offenders; provides for corresponding changes to the form that the courts
10 use for written notification; and to provide for related matters.
11 Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
12 Section 1. R.S. 15:541(24)(a), (25)(b) through (o), 542(C)(1)(introductory
13 paragraph) and (2), 542.1(A)(introductory paragraph) and (2)(a) and (c) and (d), and 543.1
14 are hereby amended and reenacted and R.S. 15:541(25)(p) and (q), 542.1(A)(2)(e), and
15 542.1.2(A)(5) are hereby enacted to read as follows:
16 §541. Definitions
17 For the purposes of this Chapter, the definitions of terms in this Section shall
18 apply:
19 * * *
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1 (24)(a) "Sex offense" means deferred adjudication, adjudication withheld,
2 or conviction for the perpetration or attempted perpetration of or conspiracy to
3 commit human trafficking when prosecuted under the provisions of R.S.
4 14:46.2(B)(2), R.S. 14:46.3 (trafficking of children for sexual purposes), R.S.
5 14:73.13(A) or (B)(2) (unlawful deepfakes), R.S. 14:89 (crime against nature), R.S.
6 14:89.1 (aggravated crime against nature), R.S. 14:89.2(B)(3) (crime against nature
7 by solicitation), R.S. 14:80 (felony carnal knowledge of a juvenile), R.S. 14:81
8 (indecent behavior with juveniles), R.S. 14:81.1 (pornography involving juveniles)
9 which occurred prior to August 1, 2025, R.S. 14:81.2 (molestation of a juvenile or
10 a person with a physical or mental disability), R.S. 14:81.3 (computer-aided
11 solicitation of a minor), R.S. 14:81.4 (prohibited sexual conduct between an educator
12 and student), R.S. 14:82.1 (prostitution; persons under eighteen), R.S. 14:82.2(C)(4)
13 or (5) (purchase of commercial sexual activity), R.S. 14:83(B)(2) or (3) (soliciting
14 for prostitutes), R.S. 14:92(A)(7) (contributing to the delinquency of juveniles), R.S.
15 14:93.5 (sexual battery of persons with infirmities), R.S. 14:106(A)(5) (obscenity by
16 solicitation of a person under the age of seventeen), R.S. 14:283 (video voyeurism),
17 R.S. 14:41 (rape), R.S. 14:42 (aggravated or first degree rape), R.S. 14:42.1 (forcible
18 or second degree rape), R.S. 14:43 (simple or third degree rape), R.S. 14:43.1 (sexual
19 battery), R.S. 14:43.2 (second degree sexual battery), R.S. 14:43.3 (oral sexual
20 battery), R.S. 14:43.5 (intentional exposure to HIV), a second or subsequent
21 conviction of R.S. 14:283.1 (voyeurism), or a second or subsequent conviction of
22 R.S. 14:89.3 (sexual abuse of an animal), committed on or after June 18, 1992, or
23 committed prior to June 18, 1992, if the person, as a result of the offense, is under
24 the custody of the Department of Public Safety and Corrections on or after June 18,
25 1992. A conviction for any offense provided in this definition includes a conviction
26 for the offense under the laws of another state, or military, territorial, foreign, tribal,
27 or federal law which is equivalent to an offense provided for in this Chapter, unless
28 the tribal court or foreign conviction was not obtained with sufficient safeguards for
29 fundamental fairness and due process for the accused as provided by the federal
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1 guidelines adopted pursuant to the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of
2 2006.
3 * * *
4 (25) "Sexual offense against a victim who is a minor" means a conviction for
5 the perpetration or attempted perpetration of, or conspiracy to commit, any of the
6 following:
7 * * *
8 (b) Oral sexual battery when the victim is under the age of eighteen (R.S.
9 14:43.3).
10 (c) Aggravated crime against nature as defined by R.S. 14:89.1(A)(2) under
11 the circumstances not listed as those which constitute an "aggravated offense" as
12 defined in this Section. Unlawful deepfakes depicting a minor in violation of R.S.
13 14:73.13(A) or (B)(2).
14 (d) Indecent behavior with a juvenile when prosecuted under the provisions
15 of R.S. 14:81(H)(2) and the victim is under the age of thirteen.
16 (d) (e)(i) Pornography involving juveniles (R.S. 14:81.1), which occurred
17 prior to August 1, 2025.
18 (ii) Child sexual abuse materials (R.S. 14:81.1), which occurred on or after
19 August 1, 2025.
20 (e) (f) Molestation of a juvenile or a person with a physical or mental
21 disability (R.S. 14:81.2), except when prosecuted under the provisions of R.S.
22 14:81.2(C)(1), (D)(1), or (D)(2).
23 (f) (g) Computer-aided solicitation of a minor (R.S. 14:81.3).
24 (g) (h) Prostitution; persons under eighteen (R.S. 14:82.1).
25 (h) Enticing minors into prostitution (R.S. 14:86).
26 (i) Pandering in violation of R.S. 14:84(1), (3), (5), and (6).
27 (j) Soliciting for prostitutes when the persons being solicited for prostitution
28 are under the age of eighteen years (R.S. 14:83).
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1 (k) Inciting prostitution when the prostitution involves persons under the age
2 of eighteen years (R.S. 14:83.1).
3 (l) Promoting prostitution when the prostitution being promoted involves
4 persons under the age of eighteen years (R.S. 14:83.2).
5 (m) Operation of places of prostitution when the prostitution involves
6 persons under the age of eighteen years (R.S. 14:282).
7 (n) Crime against nature prosecuted under the provisions of R.S. 14:89 other
8 than R.S. 14:89(B)(2) or (3) and the victim of the offense has not attained the age of
9 eighteen.
10 (i) Soliciting for prostitutes when the persons being solicited for prostitution
11 are under the age of eighteen years (R.S. 14:83).
12 (j) Inciting prostitution when the prostitution involves persons under the age
13 of eighteen years (R.S. 14:83.1).
14 (k) Promoting prostitution when the prostitution being promoted involves
15 persons under the age of eighteen years (R.S. 14:83.2).
16 (l) Pandering in violation of R.S. 14:84(1), (3), (5), or (6).
17 (m) Enticing minors into prostitution (R.S. 14:86).
18 (n) Crime against nature prosecuted under the provisions of R.S. 14:89 other
19 than R.S. 14:89(B)(2) or (3) and the victim of the offense has not attained the age of
20 eighteen.
21 (o) Aggravated crime against nature as defined by R.S. 14:89.1(A)(2) under
22 the circumstances not listed as those which constitute an "aggravated offense" as
23 defined in this Section.
24 (p) Operation of places of prostitution when the prostitution involves persons
25 under the age of eighteen years (R.S. 14:282).
26 (o) (q) Any conviction for an offense under the laws of another state, or
27 military, territorial, foreign, tribal, or federal law which is equivalent to the offenses
28 listed in Subparagraphs (a) through (n) (p) of this Paragraph.
29 * * *
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1 §542. Registration of sex offenders and child predators
2 * * *
3 C.(1) The offender shall register and provide all of the following information
4 to the appropriate law enforcement agencies listed in Subsection B of this Section
5 in accordance with the time periods provided for in this Subsection:
6 * * *
7 (2) Unless an earlier time period is specified in the provisions of Paragraph
8 (1) of this Subsection, every offender required to register in accordance with this
9 Section shall appear in person and provide the information required by Paragraph (1)
10 of this Subsection to the appropriate law enforcement agencies within three business
11 days of establishing residence in Louisiana. If the offender is a current resident of
12 Louisiana and is not immediately taken into custody or incarcerated after conviction
13 or adjudication, he shall provide the information on the date of conviction to the
14 sheriffs of the parish where the offender was convicted or adjudicated for the offense
15 that requires registration pursuant to this Chapter and shall, within three business
16 days after conviction or adjudication, provide the information to the sheriff of the
17 parishes of the offender's residence, employment, and school. If incarcerated
18 immediately after conviction or placed in a secure facility immediately after
19 adjudication for the offense that requires registration pursuant to this Chapter, the
20 information required by Paragraph (1) of this Subsection shall be provided to the
21 secretary of the Department of Public Safety and Corrections, or his designee, or the
22 deputy secretary for youth services, or his designee, whichever has custody of the
23 offender, within ten days prior to release from confinement. Once released from the
24 initial period of confinement for the offense that requires registration pursuant to this
25 Chapter, every offender shall appear in person within three business days to register
26 with the appropriate law enforcement agencies pursuant to the provision of this
27 Section. The offender shall register with the sheriff of the parish in which where the
28 residence address he initially supplied to the Department of Public Safety and
29 Corrections is located, unless his residence address has changed and he has
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1 registered with the sheriff of the parish in which where his new residence address is
2 located.
3 * * *
4 §542.1. Notification of sex offenders and child predators
5 A. Any adult residing in this state who has pled guilty to, has been convicted
6 of, or where adjudication has been deferred or withheld for the perpetration or
7 attempted perpetration of, or conspiracy to commit, a sex offense as defined in R.S.
8 15:541 or a criminal offense against a minor as defined in R.S. 15:541 shall be
9 required to provide the following notifications:
10 * * *
11 (2)(a) Give notice of the crime for which he was convicted, his name,
12 jurisdiction of conviction, a description of his physical characteristics as required by
13 this Section, and his physical address by mail to all people residing within the
14 designated area within twenty-one days of the date of conviction, if the offender is
15 not taken into custody at the time of conviction, or within twenty-one days of the
16 date of release from the initial period of confinement for the offense that requires
17 registration pursuant to this Chapter or within twenty-one days of establishing
18 residency in the locale where the offender plans to have his domicile, and the notice
19 shall be published on two separate days within the applicable period provided for
20 herein, without cost to the state, in the official journal of the governing authority of
21 the parish where the defendant plans to reside and, if ordered by the sheriff or police
22 department or required by local ordinance, in a newspaper which meets the
23 requirements of R.S. 43:140(3) for qualification as an official journal and which has
24 a larger or smaller circulation in the parish than the official journal. The notice
25 provided to the official journal or other designated newspaper pursuant to this
26 Subparagraph shall also include a recent photograph of the offender or a clear
27 photocopy of a recent photograph of the offender.
28 * * *
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1 (c) After initial notifications are completed, if the offender is subsequently
2 arrested for any reason or involuntarily committed to confinement in a mental health
3 facility, and is held for more than thirty days but returns to the same residence
4 address that was registered prior to arrest or confinement, it shall not be necessary
5 to renew community notifications unless five years have elapsed since his last
6 notifications were sent as required by Subparagraph (b) of this Paragraph.
7 (c) (d) The sheriff or police department may order that the notice be
8 published in a newspaper which meets the requirements of R.S. 43:140(3) for
9 qualification as an official journal and which has a larger circulation in the parish
10 than the official journal.
11 (d) (e) Notwithstanding the provisions of Subparagraphs (a) and (b) of this
12 Paragraph, persons convicted of R.S. 14:92(A)(7) shall not be required to publish
13 notice of the crime for which they were convicted in the official journal or any
14 newspaper required by those Subparagraphs.
15 * * *
16 §542.1.2. Duty of offenders to notify law enforcement of change of address,
17 residence, or other registration information
18 A. Unless an earlier time period is otherwise specified in the provisions of
19 this Chapter, those persons required to register pursuant to the provisions of this
20 Chapter shall appear in person at the sheriff's office in the parish of residence, or the
21 police department in the case of a municipality with a population in excess of three
22 hundred thousand, where the offender is currently registered to update information
23 registration within three business days of establishing a new or additional physical
24 residential address or of changes in information previously provided when any of the
25 following occur:
26 * * *
27 (5) The offender, after initial registration, is subsequently arrested for any
28 reason or involuntarily committed to confinement in a mental health facility and is
29 held for more than thirty days in the prison or mental health facility.
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1 (i) If the offender is returning to the same residence address that was
2 registered prior to arrest or confinement, it shall not be necessary to renew
3 community notifications unless five years have elapsed since his last notifications
4 were sent as required by R.S. 15:542.1.
5 (ii) The offender shall provide, in writing, his intended residence address to
6 the institution where he is incarcerated or confined within three days prior to release.
7 Prior to the release of the offender, the institution shall forward the intended
8 residence of the offender to the sheriff's office in the parish where the institution is
9 located for inclusion in the Sex Offender and Child Predator Registry.
10 * * *
11 §543.1. Written notification by the courts; form to be used
12 STATE V. ______________ ______ JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT
13 DOCKET # __________ PARISH OF ___________________
14 DIVISION ______ STATE OF LOUISIANA
15 Notification to Sex Offender
16 In accordance with R.S. 15:543, this court has the duty to provide
17 _______________________ (name of offender) with the information necessary for
18 awareness of sex offender and child predator registration and notification
19 requirements as well as any applicable requirements of supervised released pursuant
20 to Chapter 3-E of Title 15 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950.
21 _______________________ has pled guilty to, been found guilty of, or been
22 adjudicated delinquent of a violation of Title 14, Section ____ Subsection ____ of
23 the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950. This crime of conviction or adjudication is:
24 ( ) Under R.S. 15:541, defined as an aggravated offense or, with regard to
25 offenders adjudicated as juveniles, an offense listed in R.S. 15:542(A)(3) which,
26 pursuant to R.S. 15:544(B)(2)(a) or (b), requires lifetime registration and notification
27 under Chapter 3-B of Title 15 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950.
28 ( ) A second conviction for an offense requiring registration and notification
29 under the provisions of Chapter 3-B of Title 15 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of
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1 1950 which, pursuant to R.S. 15:544(B)(2)(c), requires lifetime registration and
2 notification under Chapter 3-B of Title 15 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950.
3 ( ) Under R.S. 15:541, defined as a sexual offense against a victim who is
4 a minor which, pursuant to R.S. 15:544(B)(1), requires 25 years of registration and
5 notification under Chapter 3-B of Title 15 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950.
6 ( ) Is defined neither as an aggravated offense nor a sexual offense against
7 a victim who is a minor under R.S. 15:541 which, pursuant to R.S. 15:544(A),
8 requires 15 years of registration and notification under Chapter 3-B of Title 15 of the
9 Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950.
10 The above registration and notification periods shall begin to toll from the
11 date you are released from prison, from the date of being placed on parole,
12 supervised release or probation, or from the date of your conviction, if you are not
13 sentenced to a term of imprisonment or jail. Additionally, you have been convicted
14 of:
15 ( ) An aggravated offense as defined in R.S. 15:541 or more than one
16 conviction of an offense that requires registration pursuant to R.S. 15:542 and
17 544(B)(2)(c), you must update your registration, in person, every ninety days from
18 the date of initial registration, with the appropriate law enforcement agencies as
19 provided in R.S. 15:542.
20 ( ) A sexual offense involving a victim who is a minor as defined in R.S.
21 15:541, you must update your registration, in person, every six months from the date
22 of initial registration, with the appropriate law enforcement agencies as provided in
23 R.S. 15:542.
24 ( ) An offense not defined in R.S. 15:541 as an aggravated offense or a
25 sexual offense involving a victim who is a minor, you must update your registration,
26 in person, annually from the date of initial registration, with the appropriate law
27 enforcement agencies as provided in R.S. 15:542.
28 Additionally, if the offense that requires registration as a sex offender
29 involves a victim under the age of thirteen and you are incarcerated as a result of the
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1 conviction, you are advised that you will be subjected to supervised release under
2 Chapter 3-E of Title 15 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes once you are released from
3 incarceration. A copy of these statutes are provided to you with this notification.
4 Based on the foregoing, you are hereby notified of the following:
5 (1) That you, within three (3) business days of establishing residence in
6 Louisiana or if a current resident, within three (3) business days after conviction or
7 adjudication if not immediately incarcerated or taken into custody, or within three
8 (3) business days after release from confinement, shall obtain and provide the
9 following information to each sheriff or police department in accordance with R.S.
10 15:542(B) (except in Orleans Parish where registration shall take place with the New
11 Orleans Police Department):
12 (a) Name and any aliases used by you.
13 (b) Physical address or addresses of residence.
14 (c) Name and physical address of place of employment. If you do not have
15 a fixed place of employment, you shall provide information with as much specificity
16 as possible regarding the places where you work, including but not limited to travel
17 routes used by you.
18 (d) Name and physical address of the school in which where you are a
19 student.
20 (e) Two forms of proof of residence for each residential address provided,
21 including but not limited to a driver's license, bill for utility service, and bill for
22 telephone service. If those forms of proof of residence are not available, you may
23 provide an affidavit of an adult resident living at the same address. The affidavit
24 shall certify that the affiant understands his obligation to provide written notice
25 pursuant to R.S. 15:542.1.4 to the appropriate law enforcement agency with whom
26 you last registered when you no longer reside at the residence provided in the
27 affidavit.
28 (f) The crime for which you were convicted and the date and place of such
29 conviction, and if known by you, the court in which where the conviction was
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1 obtained, the docket number of the case, the specific statute under which you were
2 convicted, and the sentence imposed.
3 (g) A current photograph, fingerprints, palm prints, and a DNA sample.
4 (h) Telephone numbers, including fixed location phone and mobile phone
5 numbers assigned to you or associated with your residence address.
6 (i) A description of every motorized vehicle registered to or operated by you,
7 including license plate number and vehicle identification number, and a copy of your
8 driver's license and identification card. This information should always be provided
9 before the vehicle is operated and, if the vehicle is registered to you, no more than
10 three days after the vehicle is registered, even if it has not yet been operated.
11 (j) Social security number and date of birth.
12 (k) A description of your physical characteristics, including but not limited
13 to sex, race, hair color, eye color, height, age, weight, scars, tattoos, or other
14 identifying marks on your body.
15 (l) Every e-mail address, online screen name, or other online identity,
16 including any static IP addresses, used by you to communicate on the Internet.
17 (m)(i) Temporary lodging information regarding any place where you plan
18 to stay for seven or more days and the length of the stay. This information shall be
19 provided at least three days prior to the date of departure unless an emergency
20 situation has prevented the timely disclosure of the information.
21 (ii) Temporary lodging information regarding international travel shall be
22 provided regardless of the number of days or nights you plan to stay. This
23 information shall be provided at least twenty-one days prior to the date of departure
24 unless an emergency situation has prevented the timely disclosure of the information.
25 Upon receipt of this information by the bureau from the law enforcement agency,
26 this information shall then be sent by the bureau to the United States Marshals
27 Service's National Sex Offender Targeting Center for transmission to the proper
28 authorities.
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1 (n) Travel and immigration documents, including but not limited to passports
2 and documents establishing immigration status.
3 (o) A state sex offender identification card from the office of motor vehicles.
4 (2) You shall register with the sheriff and police chief in each parish and
5 municipality where you maintain your residence(s) and with the sheriff of the parish
6 in which where you are employed and attend school in accordance with R.S. 15:542.
7 For initial registration only, you, if you are not immediately taken into physical
8 custody, shall register on the date of conviction or adjudication with the sheriff in the
9 parish of your conviction or adjudication in accordance with R.S. 15:542. If you
10 live, work, or attend school in Orleans Parish, however, you shall register with the
11 New Orleans Police Department and not with the sheriff of that parish.
12 (3) If you are incarcerated as a result of the crime, you shall provide all
13 information listed in Paragraph (1) of this Section to the Department of Public Safety
14 and Corrections, or if a juvenile, to the office of juvenile justice, within ten (10) days
15 prior to release from confinement. You shall still appear in person at the sheriff's
16 office within three (3) business days of release from confinement. You shall register
17 with the sheriff of the parish in which where the residence address you initially
18 supplied to the department is located, unless the residence has changed and you have
19 registered with the sheriff of the parish in which where the new residence address is
20 located.
21 (4) During the declaration of an emergency, if you enter an emergency
22 shelter you shall, within the first twenty-four (24) hours of admittance, notify the
23 management of the facility, the chief of police of the municipality, and the sheriff of
24 the parish in which where the shelter is located of your sex offender status in
25 accordance with R.S. 15:543.2 and R.S. 29:726(E)(14)(c) through (e).
26 (5) You have a duty to provide notice of change of address or other
27 registration information to the sheriff of the parish of residence within three business
28 days. If the new or additional residence is located in a different parish, then you
29 must register with the sheriff of the parish in which where the new or additional
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1 residence is located. You shall also send written notice within three business days
2 of re-registering in the new parish to the sheriff of the parish of former registration
3 in accordance with R.S. 15:542.1.2. If the new address is situated within a
4 municipality, you must also register with the police department of that municipality
5 within three business days of establishing the residence.
6 (6) You shall give notice of the crime for which you were convicted, your
7 name, address, a physical description, and a photograph to the following in
8 accordance with R.S. 15:542.1:
9 (a) At least one person in every residence or business within a one-mile
10 radius in a rural area and a three-tenths of a mile radius in an urban or suburban area
11 of the address of the residence where you will reside upon release, including all adult
12 residents of your residence.
13 (b) The superintendent of the school district where you will reside.
14 (c) The lessor, landlord, or owner of the residence or the property on which
15 you reside.
16 (d) The superintendent of the park, playground, and recreation districts
17 within the designated area where you will reside only if the victim was under
18 eighteen (18) years of age at the time of the commission of the offense.
19 *Any person convicted of a violation of R.S. 14:89 shall not have to include
20 a photograph in the notice described in Paragraph (6).
21 *Juveniles adjudicated for a crime requiring registration DO NOT have to
22 provide this community notice.
23 (7) In accordance with R.S. 15:542.1, community notification shall be given
24 by mail within twenty-one days of the date of conviction, if you are not taken into
25 custody at the time of conviction, and within twenty-one days of the date of release
26 from confinement if sentenced to a term of imprisonment for the conviction of the
27 sex offense. This notification shall also occur within twenty-one days of each time
28 you change residence within twenty-one days of establishing residency in the new
29 locale. This notification shall also occur at least every five years, whether or not you
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1 change residences. This notification shall occur in each jurisdiction in which where
2 you regularly reside.
3 *Juveniles adjudicated for a crime requiring registration DO NOT have to
4 provide this community notice.
5 (8) In accordance with R.S. 15:542.1, community notice shall be published
6 on two (2) separate days within this period in the official journal of the governing
7 authority of the parish where you plan to reside, unless ordered to be published in a
8 different journal or newspaper by the sheriff or local ordinance.
9 *Those convicted of R.S. 14:92(A)(7) are not required to publish notice in
10 the newspaper or official journal as provided in Paragraph (8).
11 *Juveniles who are adjudicated for a crime requiring registration DO NOT
12 have to provide this community notice.
13 (9) In accordance with R.S. 15:542.1(B), an offender who provides
14 recreational instruction to persons under the age of seventeen (17) shall post a notice
15 in the building or facility where such instruction is being given. This notice shall
16 contain your name and photograph, the date and jurisdiction of conviction, and the
17 crime for which you were convicted.
18 (10) In accordance with R.S. 15:542(C)(2), you must, within ten (10) days
19 prior to release from a correctional facility, provide a photograph and all other
20 required registration information to the Department of Public Safety and Corrections,
21 or if a juvenile, to the office of juvenile justice for purposes of the State Sex
22 Offender and Child Predator Registry. Providing false information during this
23 process constitutes failure to register exposing you to prosecution and the penalties
24 detailed at the end of this document. The address provided to the Department of
25 Public Safety and Corrections through this process shall be presumed to be your
26 residence address. In accordance with R.S. 15:542(C)(2), you must register with the
27 sheriff of the parish in which where this address is located within three business days
28 of your release from confinement, whether or not you actually establish a residence
29 there, unless you establish a residence elsewhere AND register with that jurisdiction
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1 within three business days of your release from confinement. Failure to do so is a
2 violation of the registration statutes and will subject you to prosecution under R.S.
3 15:542.1.4.
4 (11) In accordance with R.S. 15:542.1.2, if you change your place of
5 residence or establish a new or additional residence, you shall appear in person at the
6 office of the sheriff of your parish of residence where you are currently registered
7 within three (3) business days of the change to register the new address. If the new
8 address is located in a different parish, then you shall also appear in person at the
9 office of the sheriff of your new parish of residence within the same time period. If
10 your parish of residence is in Orleans Parish, then the registration shall take place at
11 the New Orleans Police Department and not with the Orleans Parish Sheriff.
12 (12) In accordance with R.S. 15:542.1.2, if you are absent from your current
13 address of registration for more than thirty (30) consecutive days or an aggregate of
14 thirty (30) days or more in a calendar year, and are physically present at another
15 address during that same period of time, you shall register in person the new address
16 as one of your addresses of residence. If the new address is in a parish different from
17 your current address, you shall also register in person with the sheriff of the new
18 parish within three (3) business days of the tolling of the time periods listed. This
19 requirement notwithstanding, you shall still notify the sheriff of one of your parishes
20 of residence in person if you are to take up temporary lodging for seven (7) or more
21 days. It is only after the thirty-day limit is exceeded that the new registration shall
22 occur.
23 (13) You shall also appear in person at the office of the sheriff of any of your
24 parishes of residence when there is a change in your name, place of employment, or
25 enrollment. This appearance shall occur within three (3) business days of the
26 change. If your address of residence is in Orleans Parish, this registration update
27 shall take place at the New Orleans Police Department and not with the Orleans
28 Parish Sheriff's Office.
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1 (14) After your initial registration, if you are subsequently arrested for any
2 reason or involuntarily committed to confinement in a mental health facility and you
3 are held for more than thirty days in prison or a mental health facility, you shall
4 appear in person at the office of the sheriff of your parish of residence (except in
5 Orleans Parish where registration shall take place with the New Orleans Police
6 Department) where you are currently registered within three (3) business days.
7 (a) If you are returning to the same residence address that was registered
8 prior to arrest or confinement, it shall not be necessary to renew community
9 notifications unless five years have elapsed since your last notifications were sent as
10 required by R.S. 15:542.1.
11 (b) You shall provide, in writing, your intended residence address to the
12 institution where you are incarcerated or confined within three (3) days prior to
13 release.
14 (14) (15) You shall be prohibited from certain types of employment in
15 accordance with R.S. 15:553 for the duration of the registration period. A copy of
16 this statute is provided to you with this notification.
17 (15) (16) In accordance with R.S. 15:542(C), you shall update your
18 registration annually on the anniversary of the initial registration by appearing in
19 person at the office of each law enforcement agency with which you are required to
20 register and shall pay an annual registration fee of sixty dollars ($60.00).
21 (16) (17) Failure to comply with any of these registration and notification
22 requirements is a felony for which you shall be punished by a fine of up to one
23 thousand dollars ($1,000.00) and imprisonment at hard labor for not less than two
24 years nor more than ten years without benefit of parole, probation, or suspension of
25 sentence. Upon a second or subsequent conviction, you shall be punished by a fine
26 of up to three thousand dollars ($3,000.00) and imprisonment at hard labor for not
27 less than five years, nor more than twenty years without benefit of parole, probation,
28 or suspension of sentence.
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1 (17) (18) For those offenders who have been convicted of a sex offense as
2 defined in R.S. 15:541 involving a victim who was under the age of thirteen (13) at
3 the time of the offense, R.S. 14:91.2 is applicable which prohibits such offenders
4 from residing or being present in certain locations. A copy of this statute is provided
5 to you with this notification.
6 (18) (19) For those offenders who have been convicted of R.S. 14:81
7 (indecent behavior with juveniles), R.S. 14:81.1 (pornography involving juveniles)
8 which occurred prior to August 1, 2025, R.S. 14:81.1 (child sexual abuse materials)
9 which occurred on or after August 1, 2025, R.S. 14:81.3 (computer-aided solicitation
10 of a minor), or R.S. 14:283 (video voyeurism) or have been convicted of a sex
11 offense as defined in R.S. 15:541 in which where the victim of the sex offense was
12 a minor, R.S. 14:91.5, which prohibits such offenders from using certain social
13 networking websites, is applicable. A copy of this statute is provided to you with
14 this notification. If you are not otherwise prohibited and use any social networking
15 website, you must include in your profile for the social networking website an
16 indication that you are a sex offender or child predator in accordance with R.S.
17 15:542.1(D). You must include notice of the crime for which you were convicted,
18 the jurisdiction of conviction, a description of your physical characteristics, and your
19 residential address. This notice must be visible to all other users and visitors of the
20 networking website.
21 THUS DONE AND SIGNED this ____ day of _____________, 20___ in
22 open court, in_____________, Louisiana.
23 ______________________________
24 Judge, ____ Judicial District Court
25 I hereby certify that the above requirements have been explained to me, that I have
26 received a copy of the above notice of sex offender registration and notification
27 requirements, and a copy of the statutes providing for such requirements. I also understand
28 that I will be subject to any changes made by the legislature to the registration laws from this
29 day forward.
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1 ____________________________
2 (Name of Sex Offender)
3 ____________________________
4 Defense Counsel Signature
5 Section 3. R.S. 15:542.1(A)(1)(e) is hereby repealed in its entirety.
DIGEST
The digest printed below was prepared by House Legislative Services. It constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument. The keyword, one-liner, abstract, and digest do not constitute
part of the law or proof or indicia of legislative intent. [R.S. 1:13(B) and 24:177(E)]
HB 784 Engrossed 2026 Regular Session Cox
Abstract: Provides relative to sex offender registration and notification requirements.
Present law (R.S. 15:541) provides for definitions relative to the registration of sex
offenders.
Proposed law retains present law.
Present law (R.S. 15:541(24)(a)) defines the term "sex offense".
Proposed law amends present law to include unlawful deepfakes (R.S. 14:73.13) where
minors are depicted engaging in sexual conduct.
Present law (R.S. 15:541(25) defines the term "sexual offense against a victim who is a
minor".
Proposed law amends present law as follows:
(1) Reorganizes the offenses included within this term so that they appear in order
according to statutory designation.
(2) Provides that the crime of oral sexual battery within this term involves a victim who
is under the age of 18.
(3) Adds unlawful deepfakes (R.S. 14:73.13) where minors are depicted engaging in
sexual conduct.
(4) Adds indecent behavior with a juvenile when prosecuted under certain provisions of
present law and the victim is under the age of 13.
Present law (R.S. 15:542) provides for the registration requirements of sex offenders and
child predators.
Proposed law retains present law.
Present law requires an offender to register and provide certain information to the
appropriate law enforcement agencies in accordance with the time periods provided in
present law.
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Proposed law generally retains present law.
Proposed law provides that registration pertains to the offense that requires sex offender
registration. Further provides that the offender has three business days to appear before the
appropriate law enforcement agency for registration upon release from the initial period of
confinement for the offense that required sex offender registration.
Present law (R.S. 15:542.1) provides for notification requirements of sex offenders and child
predators.
Proposed law retains present law.
Present law provides that a person convicted of crime against nature (R.S. 14:89) is not
required to furnish a photograph as required by present law.
Proposed law removes this provision of present law.
Present law provides for time periods to provide notification to law enforcement.
Proposed law generally retains present law and provides that the 21 business days to provide
notification is upon release from the initial period of confinement for the offense that
required sex offender registration.
Proposed law provides that after initial notifications are completed, it is not necessary for
an offender to renew community notifications unless five years have elapsed since his last
notifications were sent if the offender is subsequently held for more than 30 days after being
arrested or involuntarily committed to a mental heath facility but then returns to the same
residence address that was registered prior to arrest or confinement.
Present law (R.S. 15:542.1.2) provides for the duty of offenders to notify law enforcement
of any change of their address, residence, or other registration information.
Proposed law retains present law.
Proposed law provides that after initial registration, an offender who is subsequently held
for more than 30 days after an arrest or involuntarily commitment to a mental health facility
is required to appear in person at the office of the appropriate law enforcement agency
within three business days of establishing a new or additional physical residential address
or of changes in information previously provided.
Proposed law provides that after initial notifications are completed, it is not necessary for
an offender to renew community notifications unless five years have elapsed since his last
notifications were sent if the offender is subsequently held for more than 30 days after being
arrested or involuntarily committed to a mental heath facility but then returns to the same
residence address that was registered prior to arrest or confinement.
Proposed law provides for duties of the offender and the institution where he is incarcerated
relative to the intended residence address of the offender upon release.
Present law (R.S. 15:543.1) provides for written notification by the courts and the form to
be used relative to sex offenders.
Proposed law generally retains present law and amends present law as follows:
(1) Provides that the court has the duty to provide a sex offender with the information
necessary for awareness of any applicable requirements of supervised released
pursuant to present law (Ch. 3-E of R.S. 15 of the La. Rev. Stat. of 1950).
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(2) Within the selection box for an aggravated offense as defined in present law (R.S.
15:541), provides an option for more than one conviction of an offense that requires
registration pursuant to present law (R.S. 15:542 and 544(B)(2)(c)).
(3) Provides notification that additionally, if the offense that requires registration as a
sex offender involves a victim under the age of 13 and the offender is incarcerated
as a result of the conviction, the offender is advised that he will be subjected to
supervised release under present law upon release from incarceration. Further
provides that a copy of relevant present law be provided to the offender.
(4) Adds a static IP address within the particular Internet-related information that is to
be provided to law enforcement.
(5) Adds a cross reference to provisions contained in Title 29 of the La. Rev. Stat.
relative to sex offenders who enter an emergency shelter during the declaration of
an emergency.
(6) Removes a provision that relieves any person convicted of a crime against nature
(R.S. 14:89) from having to include a photograph when providing notification.
(7) Relative to community notification, clarifies that the term of imprisonment is for
conviction of the sex offense.
(8) Provides notification that after initial registration, an offender who is subsequently
arrested or involuntarily committed to a mental health facility and held for more than
30 days in prison or a mental health facility is required to appear in person at the
office of the appropriate law enforcement agency where the offender is currently
registered within three business days.
(9) Provides that the renewal of community notifications is not necessary under certain
circumstances unless five years have elapsed since the last notifications were sent.
Further requires the offender to provide his intended residence address to the
institution where he is incarcerated or confined within three days prior to release.
(10) Provides notification to an offender who is not otherwise prohibited from using any
social networking website relative to the designation of his online profile and the
information to be included within the profile.
(Amends R.S. 15:541(24)(a), (25)(b)-(o), 542(C)(1)(intro. para.) and (2), 542.1(A)(intro.
para.) and (2)(a) and (c) and (d), 542.1(A)(intro. para.) and 543.1; Adds R.S. 15:541(25)(p)
and (q), 542.1(A)(2)(e), and 542.1.2(A)(5); Repeals R.S. 15:542.1(A)(1)(e))
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