House File 2157 - Introduced HOUSE FILE 2157 BY HANSON A BILL FOR An Act providing for signs or decals identifying the motor 1 vehicles of certain novice drivers and making a penalty 2 applicable. 3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 4 TLSB 5510HH (3) 83 dea/nh

H.F. 2157 Section 1. Section 321.180B, subsection 1, Code Supplement 1 2009, is amended to read as follows: 2 1. Instruction permit. 3 a. The department may issue an instruction permit to an 4 applicant between the ages of fourteen and eighteen years if 5 the applicant meets the requirements of sections 321.184 and 6 321.186, other than a driving demonstration, and pays the 7 required fee. An instruction permit issued under this section 8 shall be valid for a period not to exceed four years from the 9 licensee’s birthday anniversary in the year of issuance. A 10 motorcycle instruction permit issued under this section is not 11 renewable. 12 b. Subject to the limitations in this subsection, an 13 instruction permit entitles the permittee, while having the 14 permit in the permittee’s immediate possession, to operate a 15 motor vehicle other than a commercial motor vehicle or as a 16 chauffeur or a motor vehicle with a gross vehicle weight rating 17 of sixteen thousand one or more pounds upon the highways. 18 c. (1) Except as otherwise provided, a permittee who 19 is less than eighteen years of age and who is operating 20 a motor vehicle must be accompanied by a person issued a 21 driver’s license valid for the vehicle operated who is the 22 parent, guardian, or custodian of the permittee, member of 23 the permittee’s immediate family if the family member is at 24 least twenty-one years of age, an approved driver education 25 instructor, a prospective driver education instructor who is 26 enrolled in a practitioner preparation program with a safety 27 education program approved by the state board of education, 28 or a person at least twenty-five years of age if written 29 permission is granted by the parent, guardian, or custodian, 30 and who is actually occupying a seat beside the driver. A 31 permittee shall not operate a motor vehicle if the number of 32 passengers in the motor vehicle exceeds the number of passenger 33 safety belts in the motor vehicle. If the applicant for an 34 instruction permit holds a driver’s license issued in this 35 -1- LSB 5510HH (3) 83 dea/nh 1/ 3

H.F. 2157 state valid for the operation of a motorized bicycle or a 1 motorcycle, the instruction permit shall be valid for such 2 operation without the requirement of an accompanying person. 3 (2) However, if If the permittee is operating a motorcycle 4 in accordance with this section, the accompanying person must 5 be within audible and visual communications distance from 6 the permittee and be accompanying the permittee on or in a 7 different motor vehicle. Only one permittee shall be under the 8 immediate supervision of an accompanying qualified person. 9 (3) If the applicant for an instruction permit holds a 10 driver’s license issued in this state valid for the operation 11 of a motorized bicycle or a motorcycle, the instruction permit 12 shall be valid for such operation without the requirement of 13 an accompanying person. 14 d. A permittee shall not operate a motor vehicle if the 15 number of passengers in the motor vehicle exceeds the number of 16 passenger safety belts in the motor vehicle. 17 e. A permittee shall not be penalized for failing to have 18 the instruction permit in the permittee’s immediate possession 19 if the permittee produces in court, within a reasonable time, 20 an instruction permit issued to the permittee and valid at the 21 time of the permittee’s arrest or at the time the permittee 22 was charged with failure to have the permit in the permittee’s 23 immediate possession. 24 f. A permittee operating a motor vehicle other than a 25 motorcycle or motorized bicycle shall display, on the rear 26 window of the motor vehicle, a removable sign or decal issued 27 by the department indicating that the driver of the motor 28 vehicle is a novice driver. The department shall design a 29 novice driver sign or decal, or both, and adopt rules providing 30 for their use. The department may charge a reasonable fee for 31 issuance of novice driver signs or decals. A permittee may be 32 issued more than one such sign or decal upon payment of the 33 required fee for each sign or decal. 34 -2- LSB 5510HH (3) 83 dea/nh 2/ 3

H.F. 2157 EXPLANATION 1 This bill requires a person under 18 years of age who is 2 driving under an instruction permit to display a novice driver 3 sign or decal in the rear window of the motor vehicle. The 4 department of transportation is directed to design a removable 5 novice driver sign or decal, or both, and to provide by rule 6 for the use of the sign or decal. The department is authorized 7 to charge a reasonable fee for the signage and to issue more 8 than one sign or decal to a permittee. 9 A person who fails to display the required novice driver 10 sign or decal while operating a motor vehicle would be guilty 11 of a violation of Code section 321.180B relating to graduated 12 driver’s licenses. Pursuant to current law, a violation of 13 that section is a simple misdemeanor punishable by a scheduled 14 fine of $30. 15 The bill also makes technical revisions to better organize 16 the portion of Code section 321.180B relating to instruction 17 permittees. 18 -3- LSB 5510HH (3) 83 dea/nh 3/ 3