HB 488 Louisiana House · 2026 Regular Session

TAX/SEVERANCE TAX: Establishes the Belle Chasse Bridge Merit-Based Special Fund and provides for use of the monies in the fund (RE -$11,476,249 GF RV See Note)

HB 488 establishes the Belle Chasse Bridge Merit-Based Special Fund using 1/5 of severance tax revenues collected from Plaquemines Parish that would otherwise go to the state general fund. The fund's money must be used exclusively to reduce tolls on the Belle Chasse Bridge, pay developer costs for an early contract handback, cover annual inflation adjustments, or fund related transportation projects. It directly affects Plaquemines Parish residents (through severance tax contributions) and bridge users (through toll adjustments). The bill takes effect July 1, 2026, and creates a dedicated funding mechanism for the Belle Chasse Bridge public-private partnership contract.

Issues: ✓ Transportation

Bill status passed 3 of 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Feb 2026

Committee Review

Apr 2026

House Passage

May 2026

Senate Passage

Governor

Introduced Feb 26, 2026 Last action May 7, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 2 comparisons

What changed between versions

HB488 Reengrossed → HB488 Engrossed · 3 edits · May 5, 2026

MINOR

The bill was re-engrossed to correct formatting and update the digest to reflect new spending categories. The most significant substantive change is the addition of a new provision allowing fund monies to pay annual Consumer Price Index (CPI) buy-down payments in the Belle Chasse Bridge contract, reversing a previous House amendment that had removed this authorization. The bill also clarifies that the fund is established after allocations to the Bond Security and Redemption Fund.

Scope change

The scope of fund usage was expanded to include CPI buy-down payments, and the legislative text was refined to clarify the fund's establishment sequence relative to other constitutional allocations.

FISCAL

Added a new spending category allowing the fund to pay annual Consumer Price Index (CPI) buy-down payments in the Belle Chasse Bridge public-private partnership contract.

TECHNICAL

Corrected the bill header from 'Reengrossed' to 'Engrossed' and updated the abstract/digest to accurately describe the new spending categories and fund establishment details.

REQUIREMENT

Clarified that the fund is established after money is allocated to the Bond Security and Redemption Fund as required by the state Constitution.

Floor votes · House May 5, 2026

How they voted

99–0

Passed · 6 other

Total votes 105

May 5, 2026

D Democratic33

31 Yea 2

93% Yea

R Republican72

68 Yea 4

94% Yea

Vote distribution

All Yea All Nay Mixed No data

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

May 5, 2026

Lower · Passed

Read third time by title, amended, roll called on final passage, yeas 99, nays 0. Finally passed, title adopted, ordered to the Senate.

lower

Apr 27, 2026

Lower · Passed

Reported with amendments (20-0).

lower

Mar 9, 2026

Committee

Read by title, under the rules, referred to the Committee on Appropriations.

lower

Feb 26, 2026

Committee

Under the rules, provisionally referred to the Committee on Appropriations.

lower

1 primary · 0 co-sponsors