ENROLLED
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Regular Session, 2013
HOUSE BILL NO. 415
BY REPRESENTATIVES ORTEGO, BARRAS, GUINN, JOHNSON, JONES, LEBAS,
MILLER, MONTOUCET, ST. GERMAIN, THIBAUT, AND THIERRY
Prefiled pursuant to Article III, Section 2(A)(4)(b)(i) of the Constitution of Louisiana.
AN ACT1
To amend and reenact R.S. 32:235(A) and to enact R.S. 25:651(C)(7), relative to guide2
signs; to require the Department of Transportation and Development to adopt a3
supplement to the manual and specifications for a uniform system of traffic control4
devices that permits parish governing authorities to request bilingual guide signs on5
certain roads; to provide guidelines for the supplement to be adopted by the6
Department of Transportation and Development; to provide for additional authority7
for the Council for the Development of French in Louisiana; and to provide for8
related matters.9
Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:10
Section 1. R.S. 25:651(C)(7) is hereby enacted to read as follows:11
§651. Creation; domicile; purposes12
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C. The purposes of the council shall include the following:14
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(7) To approve or provide Louisiana French terms to be placed on bilingual16
guide signs to be installed by the Department of Transportation and Development on17
state and federal highways.18
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Section 2. R.S. 32:235(A) is hereby amended and reenacted to read as follows:20
§235. Uniform highway marking system21
A.(1) The department shall adopt a manual and specifications for a uniform22
system of traffic control devices consistent with the provisions of this Chapter for23 ENROLLEDHB NO. 415
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use upon highways within this state. Such uniform system shall correlate with and1
so far as possible conform to the system then current as approved by the United2
States Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, except that3
the department shall adopt a supplement to the manual, subject to approval by the4
United States Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, which5
permits parish governing authorities to request that specific guide signs along state6
and federal highways within their boundaries be bilingual and display terms in both7
English and the language requested by the parish governing authority. The8
supplement shall provide guidelines for uniform bilingual guide signs that are9
installed on federal and state highways throughout the state. In developing the10
supplement, the department shall coordinate with the Council for the Development11
of French in Louisiana, R.S. 25:651 et seq.12
(2) The supplement shall provide a process by which a parish governing13
authority may make a request for bilingual guide signs. The process shall, at14
minimum, include the following:15
(a) The parish governing authority shall identify which guide signs that it16
wants to be bilingual along the state and federal highways within its boundaries.17
(b) The parish governing authority shall identify the language to be used on18
bilingual guide signs within its boundaries.19
(c) The parish governing authority shall submit the non-English terms and20
spelling thereof to be used on each bilingual guide sign within its boundaries. The21
non-English terms and spelling thereof shall be subject to the approval of the22
department, unless the submitted non-English terms are Louisiana French.23
Submissions of Louisiana French terms shall be approved by the Council for the24
Development of French in Louisiana, R.S. 25:651 et seq. If the Council for the25
Development of French in Louisiana does not approve the Louisiana French terms26
submitted, it shall provide alternative Louisiana French terms to be used on bilingual27
guide signs.28
(d) The department shall bear the cost of the production and installation if29
a guide sign that the parish governing authority requests to be bilingual is set for30 ENROLLEDHB NO. 415
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replacement or installation in the fiscal year that the request is made. However, the1
parish governing authority shall bear any increased cost in production or installation,2
or both, caused by the placement of the bilingual terms on the guide sign.3
(e) The parish governing authority shall bear the entire cost of the production4
and installation if a guide sign that the parish governing authority requests to be5
bilingual is not set for replacement or installation in the fiscal year that the request6
is made.7
(3) provided that the The department is authorized to may deviate from said8
system and may to erect advisory signs only to post advisory weight limits on state9
bridges where a state bridge is scheduled for replacement or strengthening within10
three years from the date of approval by the chief engineer of the department's11
weight rating evaluation of any state bridge. In addition, the department may deviate12
from the criteria contained in said system for location of traffic signals to the extent13
that additional weighted consideration shall be given to pedestrian and vehicular14
traffic volumes associated with schools which are located on state highways.15
(2)(4) The department shall require that any signage on public highways16
which indicates maximum or minimum speed limits in kilometers also indicate such17
speed limits in miles per hour.18
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SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATI VES
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF LOUISIANA
APPROVED: