Transportation

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.