TRAFFIC: Provides specifications for proper identification of school zones with automated speed enforcement. (8/1/26) (EN SEE FISC NOTE LF EX)
Summary
SB 330 amends Louisiana law governing automated speed enforcement in school zones. The bill requires specific pavement markings at the entrance to school zones where speed cameras are used, including a two-foot-wide yellow stripe across the roadway and the words “Entering School Zone” in white lettering. It also requires the word “SCHOOL” to be painted across the lane adjacent to the school sign in school zones equipped with automated speed enforcement devices, consistent with the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices.
The bill creates a transition rule for existing markings. Pavement markings installed before August 1, 2026, on roads outside the state highway system that already complied with the prior version of the law will remain valid until the roadway is resurfaced or the markings are replaced. SB 330 also repeals R.S. 32:47(A)(5), removing the prior statutory provision tied to these school-zone pavement-marking requirements.
Impact
SB 330 narrows and updates the statutory requirements for identifying school zones used with automated speed enforcement devices, affecting local municipal and parish authorities that operate speed cameras and the roadways where those devices are deployed. It amends R.S. 32:47(A)(4) and repeals R.S. 32:47(A)(5), while preserving compliance for previously installed markings on non-state-highway roads until resurfacing or replacement. The bill is intended to align Louisiana’s school-zone marking rules with current federal/manual traffic-control standards and clarify what signage and pavement markings are required for citation-by-mail enforcement.
Sentiment
The bill appears to have been broadly supported and ultimately enacted with little opposition. It passed the Senate overwhelmingly on final passage, passed the House unanimously, and then received unanimous Senate concurrence. The only recorded resistance in the legislative history was on a Senate amendment, which failed by a wide margin, suggesting the chamber preferred the bill’s original approach over the proposed change.
Contention
The main point of contention appears to have been the details of how school zones should be marked for automated speed enforcement, particularly whether to alter the bill through amendment. The failed Senate amendment indicates some disagreement over the precise statutory language or implementation requirements, but the final version retained the core marking standards and transition rule. No committee testimony is available in the provided record, and the final votes show that any disagreement was limited and did not prevent enactment.
Establishes penalties for persons exceeding the speed limit or breaching construction zones and utility work safety zones under active construction with workers on site (EN SEE FISC NOTE LF EX)