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Student-backed bill would add $25 candidate fee to fund campaign sign recycling
Summary
A student-led effort and bipartisan amendments advanced House Bill 648, which would add $25 to candidate qualifying fees to create a campaign sign recycling fund administered with the Secretary of State; the committee adopted exemptions and a delayed effective date and approved the bill for a favorable report.
A bill that would add $25 to candidate qualifying fees to create a statewide campaign sign recycling fund advanced from the House Committee on Governmental Affairs on May 8, 2025.
The measure, House Bill 648, was introduced by Chairman Bowyer and developed with student advocate Trey Bishop of Ascension Episcopal School, who told the committee Louisiana lacks infrastructure to recycle common political sign materials — polypropylene (plastic #5) — and proposed using the fee to create parish-level hubs and state guidance. The committee adopted amendments exempting school board and certain party committee candidates and set an effective date of Aug. 1, 2025.
Why it matters: Candidates and volunteers leave millions of campaign signs in the landscape after elections; proponents said a modest qualifying-fee surcharge would create dedicated funds so parishes and the Secretary of State could set up collection hubs and contracts with recyclers. Bishop told the committee his Lafayette pilot uses drop-off locations and parish containers; stakes are repurposed for veterans’ wreath programs and signs have been collected multiple times a year there.
The bill’s sponsor, Chairman Bowyer, said the Secretary of State will promulgate rules for program operation. Committee members pressed on details including who would collect signs, whether funds would be remitted back to parishes, and how the program would treat sign stakes and property-access questions. Bishop and supporters said local public works and volunteers already assist drop-off programs in Lafayette; the bill’s language leaves program design and administration to the Secretary of State.
Committee action: Representative Baham offered and the committee adopted an amendment exempting school board candidates and state and parish party central committees from the surcharge. The committee also adopted an amendment delaying application of the fee to qualifying fees effective Aug. 1, 2025. With no objections, the committee moved HB 648 to be reported favorably.
What the bill does not do: The bill does not create specific collection contracts or a statewide operating manual in statute; the bill tasks the Secretary of State with promulgating implementing rules. It also does not change existing laws that prohibit removal of another candidate’s signs while they remain within statutory posting windows; committee members discussed but did not add new removal-authority language.
Next steps: HB 648 was ordered reported favorably by the committee and is expected to be scheduled for floor consideration. Supporters asked members to work with the Secretary of State and local officials to finalize administrative details before implementation.
