BATON ROUGE - Louisiana lawmakers have agreed to boost the fines against people caught not wearing seatbelts in a vehicle.

The bill by Rep. Walt Leger, a New Orleans Democrat, would increase the fine for a first offense from $25 to $50. Violators would pay $75 each additional time.

Supporters said they hoped the fine hike would encourage people to buckle up.

The Senate gave final passage to the bill with a 22-14 vote Wednesday. The House earlier had supported it in a 62-34 vote. The proposal now goes to the governor's desk.