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SB55 • 2026

MOTOR VEHICLES: Provides for clarification on the proper way to wear a safety belt. (8/1/26)

MOTOR VEHICLES: Provides for clarification on the proper way to wear a safety belt. (8/1/26)

Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor
Jeremy Stine
Last action
2026-05-15
Official status
Signed by the Governor - Act 236
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

There is no information in the official source material about specific penalties for non-compliance.

Clarifying How to Wear a Seatbelt

This act changes the law to require that seatbelts be worn correctly, covering both lap and shoulder, not behind or under any part of the body.

What This Bill Does

  • Changes the law to say drivers must wear their seatbelt properly.
  • Defines proper seatbelt use as having it across both lap and shoulder.
  • Says that placing a seatbelt behind the back or under an arm is not allowed.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Drivers of passenger cars, vans, SUVs, and trucks up to 26,000 pounds in Louisiana.

Terms To Know

seatbelt
A safety device used in vehicles that includes a lap belt and shoulder harness to secure passengers during accidents or sudden stops.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The law does not apply to cars, vans, SUVs, or pickups made before January 1, 1981.
  • It is unclear if there are specific penalties for not following this new rule.

Bill History

  1. 2026-05-15 S

    Effective date 8/1/2026.

  2. 2026-05-15 S

    Signed by the Governor. Becomes Act No. 236.

  3. 2026-05-14 S

    Sent to the Governor by the Secretary of the Senate.

  4. 2026-05-13 H

    Signed by the Speaker of the House.

  5. 2026-05-13 S

    Enrolled. Signed by the President of the Senate.

  6. 2026-05-12 S

    Received from the House without amendments.

  7. 2026-05-12 H

    Read third time by title, roll called on final passage, yeas 95, nays 0. Finally passed, ordered to the Senate.

  8. 2026-05-11 H

    Scheduled for floor debate on 05/12/2026.

  9. 2026-05-07 H

    Read by title, passed to 3rd reading.

  10. 2026-05-06 H

    Reported without Legislative Bureau amendments.

  11. 2026-05-05 H

    Reported favorably (15-0). Referred to the Legislative Bureau.

  12. 2026-03-23 H

    Read by title, under the rules, referred to the Committee on Transportation, Highways and Public Works.

  13. 2026-03-18 H

    Received in the House from the Senate, read by title, lies over under the rules.

  14. 2026-03-17 S

    Read by title, passed by a vote of 37 yeas and 0 nays, and sent to the House. Motion to reconsider tabled.

  15. 2026-03-16 S

    Read by title. Ordered engrossed and passed to third reading and final passage.

  16. 2026-03-11 S

    Reported favorably.

  17. 2026-03-09 S

    Introduced in the Senate; read by title. Rules suspended. Read second time and referred to the Committee on Transportation, Highways and Public Works.

  18. 2026-02-18 S

    Prefiled and under the rules provisionally referred to the Committee on Transportation, Highways and Public Works.

Official Summary Text

MOTOR VEHICLES: Provides for clarification on the proper way to wear a safety belt. (8/1/26)

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
2026 Regular Session ENROLLED
SENATE BILL NO. 55
BY SENATOR STINE
1 AN ACT
2 To amend and reenact R.S. 32:295.1(A)(1), relative to seatbelts; to provide for the proper
3 way to wear a seatbelt; and to provide for related matters.
4 Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
5 Section 1. R.S. 32:295.1(A)(1) is hereby amended and reenacted to read as follows:
6 §295.1. Safety belt use; tags indicating exemption
7 A.(1) Each driver of a passenger car, van, sports utility vehicle, or truck
8 having a gross weight of twenty-six thousand pounds or less in this state shall have
9 a safety belt properly fastened about his or her body and worn across both the lap
10 and shoulder as designed, and not placed behind the body or under the arm at
11 all times when the vehicle is in forward motion. The provisions of this Section shall
12 not apply to those cars, vans, sports utility vehicles, or pickups manufactured prior
13 to January 1, 1981.
14 * * *
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF LOUISIANA
APPROVED:
ACT No. 236
Page 1 of 1
Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law;
words in boldface type and underscored are additions.