The criminalistics laboratories presently operated by the sheriff of Calcasieu Parish for Vernon, Allen, Beauregard, Jefferson Davis, Cameron, and Calcasieu parishes, by the sheriff of Jefferson Parish, and by the sheriff of St. Tammany Parish are hereby authorized to operate within the terms and provisions of Chapter 13-B of this Title, as may be applicable, and to receive the benefits therein established, as fully as though the laboratories were in fact operated by legislatively created and authorized criminalistics laboratory commissions; however, except for the criminalistics laboratory operated by the sheriff of Jefferson Parish, those sheriff’s laboratories shall be required to provide criminalistics laboratory services for such nearby surrounding parishes as may elect, upon the terms provided above, to participate in the laboratories, within limitations as are reasonably developed by legislatively created criminalistics laboratory commissions, until such time as the laboratories may become operated by legislatively created criminalistics laboratory commissions.  The criminalistics laboratory operated by the sheriff of Calcasieu Parish shall be named and known as the Southwest Louisiana Criminalistics Laboratory.

Added by Acts 1972, No. 174, §1.  Amended by Acts 1981, No. 168, §2; Acts 2006, No. 35, §1; Acts 2012, No. 619, §1.