HB487 • 2026

MTR VEHICLE/VIOLATIONS: Provides relative to running red lights (EGF SEE FISC NOTE LF RV)

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor: Mike Bayham
Last action: 2026-05-29
Official status: Adopted in House concurrence
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide information on the bill's impact on people who enforce traffic laws or general requirements for following traffic signals.

Traffic Violations for Running Red Lights

This bill adds a new penalty of $250 for drivers who use the shoulder or turning lane to overtake another vehicle stopped at a red light, without causing any injury.

What This Bill Does

Adds a $250 fine for using the shoulder or turning lane to pass a car stopped at a red light when no one gets hurt.

Who It Names or Affects

Drivers who use the shoulder or turning lane to overtake another vehicle stopped at a red light without causing injury

Terms To Know

Traffic-control signals: Lights at intersections that tell drivers when to stop or go.
Shoulder: The area next to the road where cars can pull over.

Limits and Unknowns

Does not specify what happens if someone gets hurt while running a red light.
Only applies when no one is injured in the incident.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

Summary of Senate Amendments to HB487

Filed

Plain English: The amendment adds a rule that stops people from immobilizing or booting cars for unpaid red-light traffic violation fines unless the car owner has had a chance to have their case heard by an official. It also says this doesn't apply in Orleans Parish.

Adds a penalty of $250 when someone uses the shoulder or turning lane at a red light without causing injury.
Prohibits immobilizing or booting cars for unpaid red-light fines unless the owner has had an administrative hearing.

The amendment text does not provide details on how the administrative hearings will work, which could be important to know.

Fiscal Note - HB487 Engrossed With Senate Floor Amendments

Filed

Plain English: Filed 4

The official amendment file could not be read automatically during the last sync, so only the official amendment metadata is shown right now.

House Committee Amendment #1794 THPW Adopted

Adopted

Plain English: The amendment changes the reference from R.S. 23:232 to R.S. 32:232 in the introductory paragraph of a section related to running red lights.

Changes the law reference from 'R.S. 23:232' to 'R.S. 32:232'.

The amendment does not provide details on what changes this code update will bring beyond changing the section number.

House Vote on HB 487 CONCUR IN SENATE AMENDMENTS (#1760)

Filed

Plain English: The amendment to HB487, related to running red lights, is being voted on in the House after changes made by the Senate.

The official text does not specify what specific changes were made by the Senate and concurred upon by the House.

The provided amendment text lacks details about the actual content of the changes made, making it impossible to describe the concrete effects of the amendment.

Senate Floor Amendment #4533 Kleinpeter Adopted

Adopted

Plain English: The amendment adds new rules about immobilizing vehicles for unpaid red-light camera tickets and allows local governments to make their own stricter rules.

Adds a section allowing parishes or municipalities to create more restrictive regulations than those in the bill.
Requires an administrative hearing before immobilizing a vehicle due to unpaid red-light camera fines, except in Orleans Parish.

The amendment text does not specify what happens if someone fails to attend the required administrative hearing.

Bill History

2026-05-29 H
Read by title, roll called, yeas 98, nays 0, Senate amendments concurred in.
2026-05-29 H
Called from the calendar.
2026-05-29 H
Read by title, returned to the calendar.
2026-05-28 H
Scheduled for concurrence on 05/29/2026.
2026-05-28 H
Received from the Senate with amendments.
2026-05-28 S
Senate floor amendments read and adopted. Read by title, passed by a vote of 22 yeas and 8 nays, and ordered returned to the House. Motion to reconsider tabled.
2026-05-28 S
Called from the Calendar.
2026-05-26 S
Read by title and returned to the Calendar, subject to call.
2026-05-26 S
Rules suspended.
2026-05-20 S
Reported without Legislative Bureau amendments. Read by title and passed to third reading and final passage.
2026-05-19 S
Read by title and referred to the Legislative Bureau.
2026-05-18 S
Reported favorably.
2026-03-24 S
Read second time by title and referred to the Committee on Transportation, Highways and Public Works.
2026-03-23 S
Received in the Senate. Read first time by title and placed on the Calendar for a second reading.
2026-03-23 H
Read third time by title, roll called on final passage, yeas 95, nays 0. Finally passed, title adopted, ordered to the Senate.
2026-03-18 H
Scheduled for floor debate on 03/23/2026.
2026-03-17 H
Read by title, amended, ordered engrossed, passed to 3rd reading.
2026-03-16 H
Reported with amendments (16-0).
2026-03-09 H
Read by title, under the rules, referred to the Committee on Transportation, Highways and Public Works.
2026-02-27 H
First appeared in the Interim Calendar on 2/27/2026.
2026-02-26 H
Under the rules, provisionally referred to the Committee on Transportation, Highways and Public Works.
2026-02-26 H
Prefiled.

Official Summary Text

MTR VEHICLE/VIOLATIONS: Provides relative to running red lights (EGF SEE FISC NOTE LF RV)

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

HLS 26RS-1239 ENGROSSED
2026 Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. 487
BY REPRESENTATIVE BAYHAM
MTR VEHICLE/VIOLATIONS: Provides relative to running red lights
1 AN ACT
2 To amend and reenact R.S. 32:232(introductory paragraph) and to enact R.S. 32:232(3)(h),
3 relative to traffic control signals; to provide relative to traffic violations; to provide
4 relative to penalties for violations when no injury occurs; and to provide for related
5 matters.
6 Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
7 Section 1. R.S. 32:232(introductory paragraph) is hereby amended and reenacted and
8 R.S. 32:232(3)(h) is hereby enacted to read as follows:
9 §232. Traffic-control signals
10 Whenever traffic is controlled by traffic-control signals exhibiting different
11 colored lights, or colored lighted arrows, successively one at a time or in
12 combination, only the colors green, red, and yellow shall be used, except for special
13 pedestrian signals carrying a word legend, and said. The lights shall indicate and
14 apply to drivers of vehicles and pedestrians as follows:
15 * * *
16 (3) Steady RED indication:
17 * * *
18 (h) If the violation involves entering a shoulder or turn lane to overtake a
19 vehicle that is stopped or slowing to a stop at a red indication, but does not result in
20 an injury, the offender shall be fined two hundred fifty dollars.
21 * * *
Page 1 of 2
CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions.
HLS 26RS-1239 ENGROSSED
HB NO. 487
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 487 Engrossed 2026 Regular Session Bayham
Abstract: Provides a fine for using a shoulder or turning lane to overtake a vehicle stopped
at a red light.
Present law provides penalties for violating rules regarding red traffic signal indications as
follows:
(1) When it results in an injury to another person, a $200 to $500 fine and potential
suspension of the driver's license for 90 days, or both.
(2) When it results in serious bodily injury to another person, a $500 to $1,000 fine,
imprisonment for not more than six months, or both, and potential suspension of the
driver's license for 180 days.
(3) When it results in death of another person, a $1,000 to $5,000 fine, imprisonment for
not more than one year, or both, and potential suspension of the driver's license for
up to 365 days.
Proposed law adds a penalty of $250 when the offender uses the shoulder or a turning lane
to overtake a vehicle at a red indication, but the violation does not result in an injury.
(Amends R.S. 32:232(intro. para.); Adds R.S. 32:232(3)(h))
Summary of Amendments Adopted by House
The Committee Amendments Proposed by House Committee on Transportation,
Highways and Public Works to the original bill:
1. Make a technical change.
Page 2 of 2
CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions.