HB 1173 Louisiana House · 2026 Regular Session

MTR VEHICLE/OFFICE: Provides with respect to installment agreements entered into through the Reinstatement Relief Program operated by the office of motor vehicles

This bill modifies the state's Reinstatement Relief Program to clarify how installment payment agreements are handled when a debtor misses a payment. Under the new rules, if a person fails to pay a scheduled amount or reschedule it as agreed, they must pay the entire remaining balance within sixty days of receiving a specific notice from the Office of Motor Vehicles. If the debtor does not clear the debt within that sixty-day window, the bill mandates that their driver's license will be suspended until the account is brought current or the agreement is reinstated. The legislation primarily affects individuals who have entered into payment plans to resolve past-due vehicle registration or related fees and outlines the strict timeline for resolving missed payments to avoid license suspension.

Bill status signed all 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Mar 2026

Committee Review

May 2026

House Passage

Apr 2026

Senate Passage

May 2026

Signed into Law

Jun 2026

Introduced Mar 31, 2026 Signed Jun 2, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 4 comparisons

What changed between versions

HB1173 Original → HB1173 Act 710 · 4 edits

MODERATE

This bill amends the Reinstatement Relief Program to provide drivers with a grace period for missed payments. Previously, failing to make a payment on time immediately removed a person from the program; now, the first three missed payments are added to the end of the payment schedule instead. Removal from the program only occurs if a fourth or subsequent payment is missed, giving drivers more flexibility to resolve financial issues without losing their license reinstatement privileges.

Scope change

The bill expands the scope of the Reinstatement Relief Program by adding a specific termination threshold (fourth missed payment) that did not exist in the original text.

REQUIREMENT

Added a new subsection F requiring the Office of Motor Vehicles to issue a 'Notice of Installment Agreement Termination and Demand' if a debtor fails to pay within sixty days after a missed payment.

TIMELINE

Changed the consequence of missed payments from immediate removal from the program to adding the first three missed payments to the end of the payment schedule.

ENFORCEMENT

Established that removal from the Reinstatement Relief Program only occurs after the fourth missed payment, rather than after the first missed payment.

TECHNICAL

Updated the bill's effective session from the 2026 Regular Session to Act No. 710 and added Representative Chassion as a co-sponsor.

Floor votes · Senate May 26, 2026 · House Apr 27, 2026

How they voted

37–0

Passed · 3 other

Total votes 40

May 26, 2026

D Democratic12

10 Yea 2

83% Yea

R Republican28

27 Yea 1

96% Yea

Vote distribution

All Yea All Nay Mixed No data

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

May 26, 2026

Upper · Passed

Rules suspended. Read by title, passed by a vote of 35 yeas and 0 nays, and ordered returned to the House. Motion to reconsider tabled.

upper

May 19, 2026

Committee

Read by title and referred to the Legislative Bureau.

upper

May 18, 2026

Upper · Passed

Reported favorably.

upper

Apr 27, 2026

Lower · Passed

Read third time by title, amended, roll called on final passage, yeas 94, nays 0. Finally passed, title adopted, ordered to the Senate.

lower

Apr 21, 2026

Lower · Passed

Reported favorably (10-0).

lower

Apr 1, 2026

Committee

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

lower

1 primary · 1 co-sponsor