HLS 19RS-656 ORIGINAL
2019 Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. 181
BY REPRESENTATIVE BRASS
Prefiled pursuant to Article III, Section 2(A)(4)(b)(i) of the Constitution of Louisiana.
MTR VEHICLE/SEAT BELTS: Provides relative to safety belt use in certain vehicles
1 AN ACT
2To amend and reenact R.S. 32:295.1(A)(1), (3), and (B), relative to safety belt use in
3 passenger trucks; to increase the weight limit for vehicles required to use safety
4 belts; and to provide for related matters.
5Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
6 Section 1. R.S. 32:295.1(A)(1), (3), and (B) are hereby amended and reenacted to
7read as follows:
8 ยง295.1. Safety belt use; tags indicating exemption
9 A.(1) Each driver of a passenger car, van, sports utility vehicle, or truck
10 having a gross weight of ten twenty-six thousand pounds or less, commonly referred
11 to as a pickup truck, in this state shall have a safety belt properly fastened about his
12 or her body at all times when the vehicle is in forward motion. The provisions of this
13 Section shall not apply to those cars, vans, sports utility vehicles, or pickups
14 manufactured prior to January 1, 1981.
15 * * *
16 (3) Each driver of a passenger car, van, sports utility vehicle, or truck having
17 a gross weight of ten twenty-six thousand pounds or less, commonly referred to as
18 a pickup truck, shall not transport more persons than there are safety belts available
19 in the vehicle.
Page 1 of 2
CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions. HLS 19RS-656 ORIGINAL
HB NO. 181
1 B. Except as provided by R.S. 32:295 for children under the age of thirteen
2 or as otherwise provided by law, each occupant of a passenger car, van, sports utility
3 vehicle, or truck having a gross weight of ten twenty-six thousand pounds or less,
4 commonly referred to as a pickup truck, in this state shall have a safety belt properly
5 fastened about his or her body at all times when the vehicle is in forward motion.
DIGEST
The digest printed below was prepared by House Legislative Services. It constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument. The keyword, one-liner, abstract, and digest do not constitute
part of the law or proof or indicia of legislative intent. [R.S. 1:13(B) and 24:177(E)]
HB 181 Original 2019 Regular Session Brass
Abstract: Increases the weight limit for vehicles required to have safety belts.
Present law requires each driver of a passenger car, van, sports utility vehicle, or truck
having a gross weight of 10,000 pounds or less, commonly referred to as a pick-up truck, to
have their safety belts properly fastened about his or her body at all times when the vehicle
is in forward motion.
Proposed law increases the weight limit of the trucks from 10,000 pounds to 26,000 pounds.
Removes colloquial reference to a truck and expands the application of the law beyond
solely pick-up trucks.
Present law restricts each driver of a passenger car, van, sports utility vehicle, or truck
having a gross weight of 10,000 pounds or less, commonly referred to as a pick-up truck,
from transporting more persons than there are safety belts available in the vehicle.
Proposed law increases the weight limit of the trucks from 10,000 pounds to 26,000 pounds.
Removes colloquial reference to a truck and expands the application of the law beyond
solely pick-up trucks.
Present law requires each occupant of a passenger car, van, sports utility vehicle, or truck
having a gross weight of 10,000 pounds or less, commonly referred to as a pick-up truck, to
have a safety belt properly fastened about his or her body at all times when the vehicle is in
forward motion.
Proposed law increases the weight limit of the trucks from 10,000 pounds to 26,000 pounds.
Removes colloquial reference to a truck and expands the application of the law beyond
solely pick-up trucks.
(Amends R.S. 32:295.1(A)(1), (3), and (B))
Page 2 of 2
CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions.