§345. Donations and loans; disposition of abandoned loans

A. The office of the state museum, through the assistant secretary and in cooperation with the board and nonprofit organizations established to support the Louisiana State Museum, may seek and accept funds, governmental grants, donations, and contributions of lands, buildings, money, relics, works of art, or other property on behalf of and as additions to the museum either in the form of loans or in the form of donations inter vivos or mortis causa, or may acquire them by purchase, lease, or otherwise, subject to the terms, condition, or limitation contained in the instrument by which such property is acquired. However, the museum, through the assistant secretary, shall be empowered and authorized to enter into any and all contracts with any person, lender, or donor that it may deem fit, proper, and necessary to accept and receive such lands, buildings, money, relics, works of art, or other property on behalf of and as additions to the museum. The museum is specifically empowered to serve as the beneficiary of any public trust heretofore or hereafter created for such purpose pursuant to the provisions of R.S. 9:2341 through 2347.

B. The board is granted the authority of deaccession with respect to any collections of the Louisiana State Museum and for such purpose is specifically exempted from the laws of the state relative to the sale or disposal of surplus property. The board shall establish policies and procedures necessary to carry out this authority in an orderly manner consistent with the standards established by the American Association of Museums, except as otherwise provided by law.

C.(1) Any property which has been deposited with the Louisiana State Museum, by loan or otherwise, and which has been held by the museum for more than ten years, and to which no person has made claim shall be deemed to be abandoned and, notwithstanding the provisions of Chapter 1 of Title XII of Book III of the Louisiana Civil Code, shall become the property of the museum, provided that the museum has complied with the following provisions:

(2) At least once a week for two consecutive weeks, the museum shall publish in at least one newspaper of general circulation in the parish in which the particular museum facility is located a notice and listing of the property. The notice shall contain all of the following:

(a) The name and last known address, if any, of the last known owner or depositor of the property.

(b) A description of the property.

(c) A statement that if proof of claim is not presented by the owner to the museum and if the owner's right to receive such property is not established to the satisfaction of the museum within sixty-five days from the date of the second published notice, the property will be deemed to be abandoned and shall become the property of the museum.

(3) If no valid claim has been made to the property within sixty-five days from the date of the second published notice, title to the property shall vest in the museum free from all claims of the owner and all persons claiming through or under him.

Acts 1983, No. 687, §4; Acts 1997, No. 318, §1, eff. June 18, 1997.