Creates the "Fallen Heroes" prestige license plate. (8/1/26)

Senate Bill 96 enacts R.S. 47:463.243 to create a new special prestige motor vehicle license plate designated "Fallen Heroes." The plate will be issued by the Department of Public Safety and Corrections office of motor vehicles to any Louisiana citizen upon application, provided a minimum threshold of one thousand applicants is met. The plate is restricted to passenger cars, pickup trucks, recreational vehicles, motorcycles, and vans, and its design must comply with existing statutory design requirements while incorporating the words "Fallen Heroes." The department shall create and implement the plate upon meeting the statutory conditions and updating its electronic vehicle and title registration system.

The legislation establishes a revenue stream dedicated to law enforcement protection equipment. Vehicle owners who apply for the plate must pay an annual royalty fee of twenty-five dollars in addition to standard license taxes and a three dollar and fifty cent handling fee. The royalty fee collected by the department is forwarded annually to the Capital Area Law Enforcement Foundation for the exclusive purpose of purchasing bulletproof vests for peace officers throughout Louisiana. The three dollar and fifty cent handling fee is retained by the department to offset administrative costs associated with plate creation and issuance.

This legislation operates within the existing framework of R.S. 47:463, which governs special prestige license plates in Louisiana, and must comply with design standards established in that statute. The annual royalty fee imposed is constitutionally permissible as an additional charge beyond the standard motor vehicle license tax authorized under Article VII, Section 5 of the Louisiana Constitution. The measure becomes effective August 1, 2026, and grants the secretary of the Department of Public Safety and Corrections authority to promulgate implementing rules and regulations as necessary.