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Bill targets Belle Chasse toll practices after high fees and limited local service
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Summary
Rep. Breaux’s bill would require nearby customer service centers and curb some administrative fees after the Belle Chasse toll experiment generated heavy charges; committee approved amendments and reported the bill with further work pledged.
Representative Breaux told the House Transportation Committee that House Bill 8 96 aims to fix what he called a “mess” at the Belle Chasse toll facility after a public‑private partnership began tolling in 2019 and started charging customers in 2025.
Breaux said toll revenue billed over a four‑month window totaled about $5.1 million while administrative fees assessed during the same span amounted to nearly $6.8 million, prompting consumer outrage. “People were shocked by this. Very, very frustrating,” he said, noting the bridge remains under construction and in litigation and that some customers received mailed bills many times larger than posted rates.
The bill would require concessionaires operating toll facilities to maintain a toll customer‑service center within five miles of the infrastructure and would prohibit certain additional charges (including limiting mailing costs to actual postage). Breaux also said the measure would align Louisiana practice with statutes like Texas’s cap on administrative fees, where an annual charge cap applies.
Committee staff and the author offered a set of amendments that the panel described as technical fixes, added an effective date and clarified appeal deadlines and fee‑limits. Miss Champagne summarized the amendment set and said amendments 1 and 2 were technical while others added or adjusted effective dates and fee prohibitions; members adopted the set without recorded objections.
Breaux said he intends to continue working with the department and stakeholders — including the company running the Toll P3 — to refine contract terms and consumer protections. The committee reported HB 8 96 with amendments to the full House.
What happens next: The bill was reported with amendments; the author said he will continue to work with DOTD and impacted parties as the session advances.
