House File 813 - Introduced



                                       HOUSE FILE       
                                       BY  COMMITTEE ON WAYS AND
                                           MEANS

                                       (SUCCESSOR TO HF 513)
                                       (SUCCESSOR TO HSB 80)


    Passed House,  Date               Passed Senate, Date             
    Vote:  Ayes        Nays           Vote:  Ayes        Nays         
                 Approved                            

                                      A BILL FOR

  1 An Act relating to the speed limit for vehicular traffic on
  2    highways, the fines for violations, and court costs for simple
  3    misdemeanor offenses and providing a fee and making
  4    appropriations.
  5 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
  6 TLSB 1302HZ 81
  7 dea/gg/14

PAG LIN



  1  1    Section 1.  Section 321.285, subsection 6, Code 2005, is
  1  2 amended to read as follows:
  1  3    6.  a.  Notwithstanding any other speed restrictions, the
  1  4 speed limit for all vehicular traffic on fully controlled=
  1  5 access, divided, multilaned highways including the national
  1  6 system of interstate highways is sixty=five miles per hour.
  1  7 However, the speed limit for all vehicular traffic on highways
  1  8 that are part of the interstate road system, as defined in
  1  9 section 306.3, is seventy miles per hour.  The department may
  1 10 establish a speed limit of sixty=five miles per hour on
  1 11 certain divided, multilaned highways not otherwise described
  1 12 in this paragraph.
  1 13    b.  However, the department or cities with the approval of
  1 14 the The department, on its own motion or in response to a
  1 15 recommendation of a metropolitan or regional planning
  1 16 commission or council of governments, may establish a lower
  1 17 speed limit upon such highways located within the corporate
  1 18 limits of a city on a highway described in this subsection.
  1 19    c.  For the purposes of this subsection, a fully "fully
  1 20 controlled=access highway is highway" means a highway that
  1 21 gives preference to through traffic by providing access
  1 22 connections with selected public roads only and by prohibiting
  1 23 crossings at grade or direct private driveway connections.
  1 24    d.  A minimum speed may be established by the department on
  1 25 the highways referred to in this subsection if warranted by
  1 26 engineering and traffic investigations.
  1 27    e.  It is further provided that any Any kind of vehicle,
  1 28 implement, or conveyance incapable of attaining and
  1 29 maintaining a speed of forty miles per hour shall be
  1 30 prohibited from using the interstate road system.
  1 31    Sec. 2.  Section 602.1302, subsection 1, Code 2005, is
  1 32 amended to read as follows:
  1 33    1.  Except as otherwise provided by sections 602.1303, and
  1 34 602.1304, and 602.8108 or other applicable law, the expenses
  1 35 of operating and maintaining the judicial branch shall be paid
  2  1 out of the general fund of the state from funds appropriated
  2  2 by the general assembly for the judicial branch.  State
  2  3 funding shall be phased in as provided in section 602.11101.
  2  4    Sec. 3.  Section 602.8106, subsection 1, paragraphs b, d,
  2  5 and e, Code 2005, are amended to read as follows:
  2  6    b.  For filing and docketing of a complaint or information
  2  7 for a simple misdemeanor and a complaint or information for a
  2  8 nonscheduled simple misdemeanor under chapter 321, seventeen
  2  9 thirty dollars.
  2 10    d.  The court costs in scheduled violation cases where a
  2 11 court appearance is required, seventeen thirty dollars.
  2 12    e.  For court costs in scheduled violation cases where a
  2 13 court appearance is not required, seventeen thirty dollars.
  2 14    Sec. 4.  Section 602.8108, subsection 2, Code 2005, is
  2 15 amended to read as follows:
  2 16    2.  Except as otherwise provided, the clerk of the district
  2 17 court shall report and submit to the state court
  2 18 administrator, not later than the fifteenth day of each month,
  2 19 the fines and fees received during the preceding calendar
  2 20 month.  Except as provided in subsections 3, 4, 5, 7, and 7A,
  2 21 8, and 9, the state court administrator shall deposit the
  2 22 amounts received with the treasurer of state for deposit in
  2 23 the general fund of the state.  The state court administrator
  2 24 shall report to the legislative services agency within thirty
  2 25 days of the beginning of each fiscal quarter the amount
  2 26 received during the previous quarter in the account
  2 27 established under this section.
  2 28    Sec. 5.  Section 602.8108, Code 2005, is amended by adding
  2 29 the following new subsection:
  2 30    NEW SUBSECTION.  7A.  The state court administrator shall
  2 31 allocate to the judicial branch for the fiscal year beginning
  2 32 July 1, 2005, and for each fiscal year thereafter, seven
  2 33 million dollars of the moneys received annually under
  2 34 subsection 2, to be used for salaries of supreme court
  2 35 justices, appellate court judges, district court judges,
  3  1 district associate judges, judicial magistrates and staff,
  3  2 state court administrator, clerk of the supreme court,
  3  3 district court administrators, clerks of the district court,
  3  4 juvenile court officers, board of law examiners and board of
  3  5 examiners of shorthand reporters and judicial qualifications
  3  6 commission, receipt and disbursement of child support
  3  7 payments, reimbursement of the auditor of state for expenses
  3  8 incurred in completing audits of the offices of the clerks of
  3  9 the district court during the fiscal year, and maintenance,
  3 10 equipment, and miscellaneous purposes.
  3 11    Sec. 6.  Section 602.8108, Code 2005, is amended by adding
  3 12 the following new subsection:
  3 13    NEW SUBSECTION.  9.  a.  The state court administrator
  3 14 shall allocate to the vehicle depreciation account maintained
  3 15 by the department of public safety for vehicles utilized by
  3 16 the Iowa state patrol the following amounts from fines
  3 17 attributable to speeding violations:
  3 18    (1)  For the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2005, and ending
  3 19 June 30, 2006, six hundred eighty=four thousand dollars.
  3 20    (2)  For the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2006, and ending
  3 21 June 30, 2007, seven hundred seventy=eight thousand dollars.
  3 22    (3)  For the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2007, and ending
  3 23 June 30, 2008, eight hundred seventy=three thousand dollars.
  3 24    (4)  For the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2008, and ending
  3 25 June 30, 2009, eight hundred seventy=three thousand dollars.
  3 26    b.  All moneys allocated under this subsection are
  3 27 appropriated to the department of public safety and shall be
  3 28 used for the purchase of state patrol vehicles.
  3 29 Notwithstanding section 12C.7, subsection 2, interest or
  3 30 earnings on moneys allocated to the vehicle depreciation
  3 31 account under this subsection shall be credited to the
  3 32 account.  Notwithstanding section 8.33, moneys allocated to
  3 33 the vehicle depreciation account under this subsection shall
  3 34 not revert at the end of the fiscal year but shall remain
  3 35 available for the purpose intended.
  4  1    c.  This subsection is repealed July 1, 2009.
  4  2    Sec. 7.  Section 805.8A, subsection 5, paragraph b, Code
  4  3 2005, is amended to read as follows:
  4  4    b.  Notwithstanding paragraph "a", for excessive speed
  4  5 violations in speed zones greater than fifty=five miles per
  4  6 hour, the scheduled fine shall be:
  4  7    (1)  Ten Twenty dollars for speed not more than five miles
  4  8 per hour in excess of the limit.
  4  9    (2)  Twenty Forty dollars for speed greater than five but
  4 10 not more than ten miles per hour in excess of the limit.
  4 11    (3)  Forty Sixty dollars for speed greater than ten but not
  4 12 more than fifteen miles per hour in excess of the limit.
  4 13    (4)  Sixty Eighty dollars for speed greater than fifteen
  4 14 but not more than twenty miles per hour in excess of the
  4 15 limit.
  4 16    (5)  Sixty Ninety dollars plus two five dollars for each
  4 17 mile per hour of excessive speed over twenty miles per hour
  4 18 over the limit.
  4 19    Sec. 8.  CANINE VEHICLE REPLACEMENT.  The department of
  4 20 public safety shall use a portion of the funds allocated to
  4 21 the department of public safety's vehicle depreciation account
  4 22 pursuant to section 602.8108, subsection 9, as enacted in this
  4 23 Act, to replace existing Iowa state patrol vehicles used by
  4 24 canine handlers, when those vehicles are due for replacement,
  4 25 with multipurpose vehicles properly equipped for canine
  4 26 transport.
  4 27                           EXPLANATION
  4 28    This bill increases the speed limit on interstate highways
  4 29 from 65 to 70 miles per hour for all vehicles.  The speed
  4 30 limit on all other fully controlled access, divided,
  4 31 multilaned highways remains at 65 miles per hour, and the
  4 32 state department of transportation may continue to establish a
  4 33 65=mile=per=hour speed limit on certain other divided,
  4 34 multilaned highways.  The bill broadens the authority of the
  4 35 department to establish a lower speed limit on any portion of
  5  1 a divided, multilaned highway, including interstates.  The
  5  2 department may exercise this authority on its own motion or in
  5  3 response to a recommendation of a metropolitan or regional
  5  4 planning commission or council of governments.
  5  5    The bill increases fines for speeding violations committed
  5  6 in speed zones greater than 55 miles per hour.  The fines are
  5  7 increased from $10 to $20 for speed not more than five miles
  5  8 per hour over the limit; from $20 to $40 for more than five
  5  9 but not more than 10 miles per hour over the limit; from $40
  5 10 to $60 for more than 10 but not more than 15 miles per hour
  5 11 over the limit; from $60 to $80 for more than 15 but not more
  5 12 than 20 miles per hour over the limit; and from $60 to $90
  5 13 plus $5 for each mile per hour of excessive speed over 20
  5 14 miles per hour over the limit.  For the fiscal year beginning
  5 15 July 1, 2005, and for the three succeeding fiscal years, an
  5 16 amount estimated to be the portion of speeding fines collected
  5 17 from the increased fines is to be allocated to the state
  5 18 patrol vehicle depreciation account.  The moneys are
  5 19 appropriated to the department of public safety to be used to
  5 20 purchase vehicles for the Iowa state patrol.  The department
  5 21 of public safety is directed to use a portion of those vehicle
  5 22 depreciation funds to replace state patrol vehicles used by
  5 23 canine handlers with multipurpose vehicles equipped for canine
  5 24 transport when the existing vehicles are due for replacement.
  5 25    The bill provides for an increase in the fee charged by the
  5 26 clerk of the district court for the filing and docketing of a
  5 27 complaint or information for a simple misdemeanor from $17 to
  5 28 $30.  The bill also increases the court costs for a scheduled
  5 29 violation from $17 to $30.  The state court administrator is
  5 30 directed to allocate $7 million annually, from fines and fees
  5 31 received from the district courts, to the judicial branch to
  5 32 be used for salaries, receipt and disbursement of child
  5 33 support payments, reimbursement of auditor expenses,
  5 34 maintenance, equipment, and miscellaneous purposes.
  5 35 LSB 1302HZ 81
  6  1 dea:nh/gg/14