Authorizes a supplemental fee to fund pursuit intervention technology (OR INCREASE SG RV See Note)

House Bill 873 amends Louisiana Revised Statutes Title 32 to increase driver's license and related endorsement fees across multiple license classes and creates a new dedicated fund account. Specifically, the bill increases the basic fee for Class D driver's licenses from $42.75 to $44.75, Class E licenses from $20.25 to $22.25, commercial Class A, B, and C licenses from $61.50 to $63.50, emergency vehicle endorsements from $7.50 to $9.50, and motorcycle or motor scooter endorsements from $12 to $14 (or from $6 to $8 for licenses valid less than six years). The same $2 supplemental fee applies to each category. These amendments apply to both residents of Louisiana generally and residents of New Orleans, whose fees are increased by corresponding amounts. The bill simultaneously enacts new Louisiana Revised Statutes Section 402.4, which establishes the Pursuit Safety and Officer Technology Fund Account as a special dedicated fund in the state treasury, into which the state treasurer deposits revenues generated by the $2 supplemental fees on each license and endorsement type.

The practical effect of this legislation is to impose a small surcharge on all persons applying for or renewing driver's licenses and certain vehicle endorsements in Louisiana beginning July 1, 2026. The supplemental fees generated statewide will be directed to the Louisiana Commission on Law Enforcement and the Administration of Criminal Justice to fund three specific purposes: grants to state, parish, and municipal law enforcement agencies for acquiring pursuit intervention technologies such as GPS tracking, projectiles, remote-deployment tire deflation devices, and vehicle-tethering systems; grants for developing and implementing mandatory statewide training programs for safe deployment of such technologies; and administrative costs of the commission associated with administering the grant program, capped at five percent of the annual fund balance. Drivers renewing licenses or adding endorsements will bear the cost of this initiative through the fee increases, while law enforcement agencies gain access to grant funding for both equipment acquisition and officer training in pursuit safety technology.

The bill operates within Louisiana's constitutional framework regarding dedicated funds and the state treasury. The new fund account is subject to Article VII, Section 9(B) of the Louisiana Constitution, which requires compliance with Bond Security and Redemption Fund obligations before monies may be distributed. The supplemental fees are added to existing fee structures already codified in Louisiana Revised Statutes Section 412, which historically directed portions of driver's license fees to the Louisiana State Police Retirement System Fund, the Conservation Fund's litter abatement account, and in the case of New Orleans residents, the city's police pension fund. These existing allocations remain intact and continue to receive their designated percentages while the $2 supplemental pursuit safety fee is carved out and separately directed to the new account. The appropriation of the accumulated funds must occur through legislative action rather than being automatic.