BATON ROUGE - Lawmakers say a bill to ban balloon releases is a step toward protecting the environment, while others argue it is a blow to cherished traditions for grieving families.

House Bill 581 would criminalize balloon releases in the state for people older than 16, imposing civil fines of $150 for a first violation, $250 for the second and $500 for any additional citations.

Representative John Illg proposed the bill and stated it aims to address litter in the state.

"You don't realize the damage you're doing. I understand the memorial thing, but would you be okay with people littering to memorialize something?” Illg said.

Illg said balloons can become caught in power lines, potentially causing outages. They also pose serious threats to animals that might ingest them or become entangled.

“Cattlemen say the baby calves eat them, and they get lodged in their intestines, which causes medical problems for the farm animal. It always ends up in our waterways, which affects our fishermen," Illg said.

However, balloon releases are a common coping ritual for grieving families.

Cathy Toliver lost her 3-year-old grandson Devin Page Jr. to gun violence three years ago. She's held balloon releases in his memory but also encourages others to participate.

"Because we know they're no longer here in the natural, but when we release those balloons, it's like we're sending them up to Heaven and reaching our loved ones. Why would someone want to make a bill to stop that?" Toliver said. “So if you're going to say because of the environment, we're living in Hell. We're living in all types of things that are wrong in this universe.”

She said this bill would rip away part of people's grieving process.

"If you pass this bill and say no more balloon releases you are becoming a dictator and that is wrong. You do not dictate to people how they can grieve," Toliver said.

The bill is headed to a final vote in the House on Monday, if it passes it will go to the Senate.