Creates the Sexual Assault Survivor Empowerment Task Force

House Bill 833 creates a new chapter in Title 15 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes by establishing the Sexual Assault Survivor Empowerment Task Force as a temporary legislative body. The statute, codified as R.S. 15:563.5, authorizes the Legislature to form this task force with the specific mandate to study, evaluate, and develop legislative recommendations aimed at improving access to services for survivors of sexual assault. The legislation identifies potential service areas including counseling, school or workplace accommodations, public awareness campaigns, and mandatory training programs for schools, hospitals, and law enforcement agencies.

The task force composition includes five designated members representing key institutional stakeholders in the criminal justice and legislative systems: representatives from the office of the attorney general and the Louisiana Sheriffs' Association, one member each from the House of Representatives and the Senate, and one member from the Louisiana District Attorneys Association. These members are tasked with preparing a comprehensive report detailing their findings and specific legislative recommendations, which they must submit by February 1, 2027, to the governor, the speaker of the House of Representatives, the president of the Senate, and the chairman of the House Committee on Judiciary. The statute further requires that the report be made available to the public, ensuring transparency in the task force's work and recommendations.

This legislation operates within Louisiana's existing framework governing victim services and criminal justice policy found in Title 15 of the Revised Statutes. The task force functions as a temporary advisory body designed to inform future legislative efforts rather than as a permanent agency with ongoing regulatory authority. The termination provision in subsection D, which dissolves the task force upon submission of the February 1, 2027 report, reflects the Legislature's intent to create a time-limited study group focused on specific policy questions related to sexual assault survivor support services. The statute's placement in Title 15, which governs criminal procedure and related matters, situates this initiative within the broader statutory scheme addressing victim rights and criminal justice administration.