Louisiana § RS 37:763.1 - Criminal history record information

§ RS 37:763.1. Criminal history record information

A.  As used in this Section:

(1)  "Applicant" means an individual who has made application  to the board for the issuance, renewal, or reinstatement of any license, permit, certificate, or registration which the board is authorized by law to issue.

(2)  "Bureau" means the Louisiana Bureau of Criminal Identification and Information of the office of state police within the Department of Public Safety and Corrections.

(3)  "Criminal history record information" means information collected by the bureau or the Federal Bureau of Investigation of the United States Department of Justice on an individual consisting of identifiable descriptions, notations of arrests, detentions, indictments, bills of information, or any formal criminal charges and any disposition arising therefrom, including sentencing, criminal correctional supervision and release.  "Criminal history record information" does not include information collected for intelligence or investigatory purposes nor does it include any identification information which does not indicate involvement of the individual in the criminal justice system.

B.(1)  Notwithstanding any other law to the contrary, the board may require an applicant to submit a full set of fingerprints to the board on a form and in such a manner as prescribed by the board so as to permit the board to request and obtain criminal history record information on the applicant.

(2)  In addition to all other applicable fees and costs, the board may charge and collect a fee from the applicant to cover the cost incurred by the board in requesting and obtaining the criminal history record information on the applicant.

(3)  The board shall promulgate rules and regulations in accordance with the Administrative Procedure Act to implement the provisions of this Subsection.

C.  The board may request and obtain the criminal history record information on an applicant whose fingerprints the board has obtained pursuant to this Section from the bureau or from the Federal Bureau of Investigation of the United States Department of Justice.

D.(1)  The bureau shall conduct a search of its criminal history record information on the applicant and report the findings of its search to the board no later than sixty days from receipt of a request for such information made by the board and upon the board's submission of an applicant's fingerprints and such other identifying information as may be required by the bureau.

(2)  The bureau may charge the board a reasonable processing fee for conducting the search and reporting the findings on the search  to the board.

E.  If the criminal history record information reported by the bureau to the board fails to provide grounds for disqualification of the applicant under the applicable law administered by the board, the board may forward the applicant's fingerprints and such other identifying information as may be required to the Federal Bureau of Investigation of the United States Department of Justice with a request for a search of criminal history record information on the applicant.

F.(1)  Criminal history record information shall be considered confidential information and the board, its members, officers, investigators, agents, and attorneys shall use the criminal history record information exclusively to evaluate the applicant's eligibility or disqualification.

(2)  Criminal history record information obtained in accordance with this Section shall not be released or otherwise disclosed by the board to any person or agency without the written consent of the applicant unless the release is ordered by a court of competent jurisdiction.

Acts 1997, No. 82, §1.