La. Ch. Code art. 1004.2

This is the official text of La. Ch. Code art. 1004.2, part of Louisiana’s Children's Code — governs child custody, child protection, and juvenile justice in Louisiana.

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Termination of rights; children in state custody

Official statutory text

The department shall file and pursue to judgment in the trial court a petition to terminate the parental rights of the parent or parents if the child has been in state custody for seventeen of the last twenty-two months, unless the department has documented in the case plan a compelling reason why filing is not in the best interest of the child.

Acts 1999, No. 544, §1; Redesignated from Ch.C. Art. 1004.1 by Acts 2023, No. 271, §1, eff. June 9, 2023.

Status: in_force · Read it on the official government site

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