§20. Records of discharge from armed forces

A. Upon the presentation of the discharge certificate or other evidence, the clerks of court of the several parishes and the register of conveyances of the parish of Orleans shall record in their records without charge, each discharge certificate or other evidence of honorable separation from the armed forces of the United States of men and women who have served in the forces. It shall not be necessary to retain original discharge papers in the archives of the office.

B. Any discharge certificate or other evidence of honorable separation from the armed forces of the United States filed on or after July 1, 2000, shall be confidential, shall not be considered as public record under R.S. 44:1 et seq., and shall not be released or shown to any person except:

(1) To the veteran or his designee.

(2) If the veteran is deceased, to the executor of his estate or to the surviving spouse or any family member of the veteran, upon furnishing a death certificate, affidavit of death, or other satisfactory evidence of the death of the veteran.

C. Notwithstanding the provisions of R.S. 44:31 and R.S. 44:32, the clerks of court of the several parishes and the register of conveyances of the parish of Orleans shall make available to the public any discharge certificate or other evidence of honorable separation from the armed forces of the United States filed prior to July 1, 2000. The clerks of court and the register shall not make copies of such record for a person who requests such record, unless the person who requests such record appears in person in the office of the appropriate clerk of court or the register and provides his full name and address to the clerk or register. The clerks of court and the register shall not make such record available to the public on any website.

Acts 2003, No. 316, §1, eff. June 13, 2003; Acts 2004, No. 758, §1, eff. July 1, 2004.

NOTE: See Acts 2003, No. 316, §3, relative to remedial nature and applicability.