Paula Bell, director of background credentialing for the Louisiana Department of Education, told a monthly certification call that Act 409 (Senate Bill 41) revised state law to strengthen child‑welfare and safety standards affecting educator certification and local hiring.

Bell said the law updates the list of disqualifying convictions in Louisiana Revised Statute 15:587.1(C) to add offenses related to human trafficking and battery of persons with infirmities, and she described those as “never evers” that bar certification consideration. “The law still restricts records reviews from occurring until five years after the disqualifying conviction or event,” Bell said.

The change to La. R.S. 17:8.7 aligns the records‑review process with current Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) practice in Bulletin 746, Chapter 19, Bell said. She summarized the modified language: the board may issue an educator credential after a successful appeal except for offenses listed in La. R.S. 15:587.1(C.")

Bell also described amendments to La. R.S. 17:15 that affect hiring and dismissal. Under the statutory change, employers must check the Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) state central registry in addition to criminal background checks. She said a person whose name appears on the DCFS registry as substantiated for child abuse or neglect on or after Aug. 1, 2018, or who has a prohibited conviction under La. R.S. 15:587.1(C), cannot be hired by a local school board or a nonpublic school system.

The statute also requires employers to dismiss employees whose names appear on the DCFS registry on or after Aug. 1, 2025, and lists other grounds for dismissal including submission of fraudulent documentation to the department or facilitating cheating on state assessments, Bell said. The law requires employees to notify both their employer and the department within two business days if their name is recorded on the DCFS registry or if they have a disqualifying conviction; failure to report can carry an individual fine of up to $1,000 and/or imprisonment for up to one year, Bell said.

Bell urged school systems to consult legal counsel about whether to rely solely on the department’s “clear credential” for local hiring decisions. She said the department will provide resources and can accept identification of possible violations by email at educatorclearance@la.gov.

The department’s summary did not propose local enforcement processes beyond the statute; Bell repeatedly advised districts to coordinate with counsel and said the department’s role is to share the law and assist with questions.