Section 405(b) occupant protection grant (23 C.F.R. § 1300.21; 23 U.S.C. § 405(b)) ― grant to support certain costs of state occupant protection programs consistent with 23 C.F.R. § 1300.21(f)

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration awarded the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission $704,728.53 under the Section 405(b) Occupant Protection Grant (CFDA 20.616, National Priority Safety Programs) on October 1, 2025, obligating funds through September 30, 2029.

The award funds occupant protection program costs consistent with 23 C.F.R. 1300.21(f). Louisiana qualifies as a state meeting statutory seat belt use category requirements and receives apportionment under the statutory formula. The recipient develops and implements countermeasure strategies detailed in an approved Triennial Highway Safety Plan and annual grant application, targeting reduction of crashes, injuries, and fatalities from motor vehicle crashes.

Work is performed in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The Louisiana Highway Safety Commission, as the designated state highway safety office, administers the grant and coordinates statewide occupant protection initiatives.

University Medical Center, a non-profit health system, serves as sub-recipient and provides a centralized resource for occupant protection and child passenger safety activities and education, including child passenger safety technician training and deployment to conduct fitting stations across Louisiana.

Section 405(b) funding is available to qualifying states that meet statutory requirements for a high or low seat belt use categories. These funds are apportioned using statutory apportionment formula. These funds are provided to the state and territorial highway safety offices based on an approved triennial highway safety plan that details problem identification, public participation and engagement, performance measures, countermeasure strategies for programming funds and an approved annual grant application that details planned projects using identified countermeasure strategies for programming funds to help reduce crashes, injuries and fatalities resulting from motor vehicle crashes.