SB 159 designates a specific segment of Louisiana Highway 17 in Franklin Parish as the "Deputy Roy Gonzales Memorial Highway." The designated portion begins at the intersection of Louisiana Highway 17 and Lawson Road and extends to Louisiana Highway 4, all located within Franklin Parish. The legislation adds this designation to state law through a new statutory provision that overrides any conflicting provisions in existing law and directs the Department of Transportation and Development to erect and maintain appropriate signage reflecting this memorial designation.
The Department of Transportation and Development bears the responsibility for installing and maintaining the memorial signs along this highway segment. However, the state agency will not incur the financial burden of these costs; instead, the department may only proceed with sign installation once local or private funds are received that cover the actual expenses associated with materials, fabrication, mounting posts, and installation for each individual sign. The statute caps the allowable cost per sign at seven hundred fifty dollars, establishing a cost ceiling to contain expenses while ensuring the department does not expend state resources on the memorial signage project.
This legislation operates within Louisiana's established framework for state highway designations and the authority of the Department of Transportation and Development to manage state highway systems. The bill's requirement that local or private funding must be secured before the department installs signs reflects a common legislative approach to memorial designations that allows communities to honor individuals without imposing costs on the state transportation budget. The provision becomes effective August 1, 2026, and once implemented, the memorial designation will become part of the official naming and identification of this Franklin Parish highway segment.
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