Lawmakers are moving forward with a bill to make Louisiana the 43rd state in the nation to regulate ride-hailing services such as Uber and Lyft at the state level, The Associated Press reports.
Without objection today, a House committee advanced the measure, which would see the state and local municipalities share 1% of each fare. The bill next will be considered on the House floor.
Putting aside a tense business rivalry, representatives from Uber and Lyft were united in arguing their apps could start serving residents in some of Louisiana’s smaller cities if the companies no longer had to negotiate agreements with each local government.
Officials from New Orleans opposed the bill, predicting the city’s annual fee intake from the rides would drop from $2.4 million to $400,000.
State Rep. Kenny Havard, R-Jackson, pre-filed a bill which also defines ride-sharing services, or transportation network companies, and imposes regulations like requiring drivers to undergo background checks and forcing ride-sharing companies to maintain trip records. Uber began offering its services in Baton Rouge in 2014, and Lyft began operating locally in January.
