§539.2. Exploited Children's Special Fund

A. Any person who is convicted or pleads guilty or nolo contendere to an offense involving trafficking of children for sexual purposes under R.S. 14:46.3, prostitution with persons under seventeen under R.S. 14:82.1, or enticing persons into prostitution under R.S. 14:86 shall be ordered to pay a mandatory monetary assessment of two thousand dollars. Notwithstanding any law to the contrary, the assessments provided by this Section shall be in addition to and not in lieu of, and shall not be used to offset or reduce, any fine authorized or required by law. If the court finds that the offender is indigent and therefore unable to pay the mandatory assessment at the time of conviction, the court shall order a periodic payment plan consistent with the person's financial ability.

B.(1) There is established in the state treasury the Exploited Children's Special Fund, hereinafter referred to as the "fund". Appropriations by the legislature and all monetary assessments paid and interest accrued on funds collected pursuant to Subsection A of this Section shall be deposited into the Bond Security and Redemption Fund, and after a sufficient amount is allocated from the Bond Security and Redemption Fund to pay all the obligations secured by the full faith and credit of the state which become due and payable within any fiscal year, the treasurer shall pay the remainder of such monies into the fund. The fund shall be subject to public audit.

(2)(a) Subject to appropriation by the legislature and except as provided in Subparagraph (b) of this Paragraph, monies in the fund shall be used for the provision of services and treatment administered by the Department of Children and Family Services, such as securing residential housing, health services, and social services, to sexually exploited children and adults. The department may also use the funds for grants or to provide services for sexually exploited children and adults.

(b) Subject to appropriation by the legislature and notwithstanding the provisions of Subparagraph (a) of this Paragraph, a portion of the monies in the fund, not to exceed fifty percent, may be used for the development of training programs relative to human trafficking and trafficking of children for sexual purposes and for the providing of law enforcement training programs administered by the Council of Peace Officer Standards and Training within the Louisiana Commission on Law Enforcement and the Administration of Criminal Justice.

Acts 2013, No. 429, §1, eff. June 24, 2013; Acts 2014, No. 564, §2; Acts 2017, No. 180, §2, eff. June 12, 2017.