Louisiana § RS 15:658 - Collection of forensic anthropology samples from unidentified human remains and missing persons

§ RS 15:658. Collection of forensic anthropology samples from unidentified human remains and missing persons

A.  Any law enforcement agency or other criminal justice agency located within the state shall submit all unidentified human remains found within the state to the F.A.C.E.S. Laboratory after reasonable efforts to identify the person have failed.

B.  The F.A.C.E.S. Laboratory personnel shall collect DNA samples from all available unidentified remains submitted to the laboratory.  Working with state and local law enforcement agencies and other criminal justice agencies and utilizing a DNA missing persons collection kit as approved by the Louisiana State Police in accordance with R.S. 15:601 through 620, the F.A.C.E.S. Laboratory personnel shall collect available biological data and DNA samples from families of missing persons.  Sample collection may be performed at the F.A.C.E.S. Laboratory or at other locations within the state as deemed appropriate by the F.A.C.E.S. Laboratory.

C.  The F.A.C.E.S. Laboratory shall develop an anthropological profile on any unidentified human remains submitted to the laboratory under this Chapter.  In addition, the F.A.C.E.S. Laboratory shall submit a DNA sample from the unidentified human remains and the families of any missing persons whose DNA samples have been collected to a qualified forensic DNA laboratory in order to obtain a DNA profile from said samples.  Any forensic DNA laboratory selected by the F.A.C.E.S. Laboratory shall be qualified to upload DNA profiles into the CODIS system at the local or state level and shall perform all required DNA analysis on the submitted specimen in accordance with any applicable Federal Quality Assurance Standards.

D.  Any DNA profile developed from any DNA sample from the unidentified human remains and the families of any missing persons shall be uploaded into the state and national CODIS database in accordance with all applicable FBI procedures for uploads of missing persons data.

E.(1)  Upon completion of the development of the anthropological profile, the F.A.C.E.S. Laboratory shall return the human remains to the submitting law enforcement agency or other criminal justice agency.

(2)(a)  After return of the human remains, the submitting law enforcement agency or other criminal justice agency shall:

(i)  If the human remains are unidentified, provide for the respectful maintenance of the human remains pending identification and contact with the deceased person's family.

(ii)  If the human remains are identified, return the human remains to the deceased person's family or make such other disposition of the human remains as the family requests.

(b)(i)  If the law enforcement  or other criminal justice agency requires the human remains in furtherance of an ongoing criminal investigation, such agency shall provide for the respectful maintenance of the human remains until there is no further such requirement.

(ii)(aa)  At such time as there is no requirement for identified human remains in furtherance of an ongoing criminal investigation, the law enforcement or other criminal justice agency shall return the human remains to the deceased person's family or make such other disposition of the human remains as the family requests.

(bb)  At such time as there is no requirement for unidentified human remains in furtherance of an ongoing criminal investigation, the law enforcement or other criminal justice agency shall provide for the respectful maintenance of the human remains pending identification and contact with the deceased person's family.

Acts 2006, No. 227, §1.