Senate
File
551
-
Enrolled
Senate
File
551
AN
ACT
RELATING
TO
FIRE
FIGHTERS
AND
EMERGENCY
MEDICAL
SERVICES
MEMBERS
OPERATING
CERTAIN
VEHICLES.
BE
IT
ENACTED
BY
THE
GENERAL
ASSEMBLY
OF
THE
STATE
OF
IOWA:
Section
1.
NEW
SECTION
.
321.231A
Fire
fighters
and
emergency
medical
services
members
responding
to
emergency
situations.
1.
Notwithstanding
section
321.231,
the
driver
of
a
vehicle
making
use
of
a
blue
light
pursuant
to
section
321.423,
subsection
3,
or
displaying
fire
fighter
or
emergency
medical
services
registration
plates
issued
pursuant
to
section
321.34,
subsection
10
or
10A,
may
reasonably
exceed
the
maximum
speed
limits
based
on
the
facts
and
circumstances
at
the
time,
only
if
all
of
the
following
apply:
a.
The
driver
is
a
current
member
of
a
paid
or
volunteer
fire
department
or
emergency
medical
services
agency.
Senate
File
551,
p.
2
b.
The
driver
is
responding
to,
but
not
returning
from,
an
emergency
call
or
fire
alarm.
c.
The
driver
has
received
emergency
vehicle
operations
training.
2.
The
provisions
of
this
section
shall
not
relieve
the
driver
from
the
duty
to
drive
with
due
regard
for
the
safety
of
all
other
persons,
nor
shall
such
provisions
protect
the
driver
from
the
consequences
of
the
driver’s
reckless
disregard
for
the
safety
of
others.
3.
A
court
shall
dismiss
and
expunge
from
a
driver’s
record
any
excessive
speed
violation
citations
issued
to
a
driver
under
circumstances
in
which
the
driver
complied
with
subsection
1,
if
the
driver
presents
to
the
court
a
signed
statement
from
the
applicable
fire
chief
or
chief
officer
of
an
emergency
medical
services
agency
providing
details
about
the
driver’s
operation
of
the
vehicle
while
responding
to
an
emergency
call
or
fire
alarm,
which
operation
resulted
in
the
citation.
This
subsection
does
not
apply
to
a
driver
who
holds
a
commercial
driver’s
license
or
commercial
learner’s
permit.
Sec.
2.
Section
321.423,
subsection
3,
paragraph
a,
subparagraph
(2),
Code
2022,
is
amended
to
read
as
follows:
(2)
A
vehicle
authorized
by
the
chief
of
the
fire
department
if
the
vehicle
is
owned
by
a
member
of
the
fire
department,
the
request
for
authorization
is
made
by
the
member
on
forms
provided
by
the
department,
and
necessity
for
authorization
is
demonstrated
in
the
request
,
and
the
member
has
received
emergency
vehicle
operations
training
.
Sec.
3.
Section
321.423,
subsection
3,
paragraph
a,
Code
2022,
is
amended
by
adding
the
following
new
subparagraph:
NEW
SUBPARAGRAPH
.
(03)
A
vehicle
authorized
by
the
chief
officer
of
an
emergency
medical
services
agency,
if
the
vehicle
is
owned
by
a
member
of
the
emergency
medical
services
agency,
the
request
for
authorization
is
made
by
the
member
on
forms
provided
by
the
department,
and
necessity
for
authorization
to
respond
to
an
emergency
call
or
fire
alarm
under
section
321.231A
is
demonstrated
in
the
request.
Sec.
4.
Section
321.423,
subsection
3,
paragraph
b,
Code
2022,
is
amended
to
read
as
follows:
b.
A
person
shall
not
use
only
a
blue
light
on
a
vehicle
Senate
File
551,
p.
3
unless
the
vehicle
meets
the
requirements
of
paragraph
“a”
,
subparagraph
(1)
,
or
(2)
,
or
(03)
.
______________________________
JAKE
CHAPMAN
President
of
the
Senate
______________________________
PAT
GRASSLEY
Speaker
of
the
House
I
hereby
certify
that
this
bill
originated
in
the
Senate
and
is
known
as
Senate
File
551,
Eighty-ninth
General
Assembly.
______________________________
W.
CHARLES
SMITHSON
Secretary
of
the
Senate
Approved
_______________,
2022
______________________________
KIM
REYNOLDS
Governor