House
Study
Bill
189
-
Introduced
HOUSE
FILE
_____
BY
(PROPOSED
COMMITTEE
ON
TRANSPORTATION
BILL
BY
CHAIRPERSON
BEST)
A
BILL
FOR
An
Act
relating
to
lighting
devices
and
other
equipment
1
on
authorized
emergency
vehicles,
providing
penalties,
2
making
penalties
applicable,
and
including
effective
date
3
provisions.
4
BE
IT
ENACTED
BY
THE
GENERAL
ASSEMBLY
OF
THE
STATE
OF
IOWA:
5
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_____
Section
1.
Section
321.423,
subsection
2,
paragraph
f,
Code
1
2021,
is
amended
to
read
as
follows:
2
f.
A
flashing
white
light
,
including
a
flashing
headlamp,
is
3
permitted
on
a
vehicle
pursuant
to
subsection
7
.
4
Sec.
2.
Section
321.423,
subsection
3,
paragraph
a,
5
subparagraph
(3),
Code
2021,
is
amended
to
read
as
follows:
6
(3)
An
authorized
emergency
vehicle,
other
than
a
vehicle
7
described
in
paragraph
“a”
,
subparagraph
(1)
or
(2)
,
if
the
blue
8
light
is
positioned
on
the
passenger
side
of
the
vehicle
and
is
9
used
in
conjunction
with
a
red
light
positioned
on
the
driver
10
side
of
the
vehicle
.
11
Sec.
3.
NEW
SECTION
.
321.424
Authorized
emergency
vehicle
12
lights.
13
Notwithstanding
any
provision
of
law
to
the
contrary:
14
1.
An
authorized
emergency
vehicle
may
be
equipped
with
15
a
combination
of
interior
and
exterior
lights,
flashing
16
headlamps,
and
flashing
tail
lamps
as
provided
in
this
section
17
and
in
this
chapter.
18
2.
An
official
law
enforcement,
fire
department,
emergency
19
medical
services,
or
emergency
management
vehicle
owned
by
the
20
state
or
a
municipality,
as
defined
in
section
670.1,
may
be
21
equipped
with
flashing
headlamps.
22
3.
An
authorized
emergency
vehicle
owned
by
the
state,
23
a
municipality,
as
defined
in
section
670.1,
or
a
private
24
emergency
medical
services
company
delivering
services
to
the
25
state,
a
municipality,
or
a
hospital
pursuant
to
a
written
26
contract,
or
a
privately
owned
vehicle
designated
as
an
27
authorized
emergency
vehicle
pursuant
to
section
321.451,
shall
28
be
equipped
with
a
combination
of
operational
red
and
blue
29
lights.
However,
a
towing
or
recovery
vehicle,
unless
owned
30
by
the
state
or
a
municipality,
shall
not
be
equipped
with
red
31
and
blue
lights.
32
4.
An
authorized
emergency
vehicle
equipped
with
an
33
interior
or
exterior
light
bar
must
have
the
light
bar
34
positioned
such
that
front
and
rear
facing
red
lights
are
on
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_____
the
driver’s
side
of
the
vehicle
and
front
and
rear
facing
blue
1
lights
are
on
the
passenger’s
side
of
the
vehicle.
2
5.
An
authorized
emergency
vehicle
equipped
with
an
3
interior
or
exterior
light
bar
with
red
and
blue
flashing
4
lights
may
be
equipped
with
flashing
or
solid
white
lights
5
scattered
among
or
between
a
clear
or
colored
lens
that
6
displays
a
red
or
blue
flashing
light.
7
6.
An
authorized
emergency
vehicle
may
be
equipped
with
one
8
or
more
lights
capable
of
emitting
a
split
red
and
blue
steady
9
or
flashing
light,
which
may
be
mounted
on
or
in
the
vehicle.
10
7.
An
authorized
emergency
vehicle
may
be
equipped
with
one
11
or
more
lights
on
the
side
of
the
vehicle
capable
of
emitting
12
red
and
blue
light,
red
and
white
light,
or
blue
and
white
13
light.
14
8.
An
authorized
emergency
vehicle
may
be
equipped
with
one
15
or
more
lights
with
a
clear
or
colored
lens.
16
9.
An
official
law
enforcement,
fire,
rescue,
emergency
17
medical
services,
or
emergency
management
vehicle
may
be
18
equipped
with
lights
or
light
bars
containing
one
or
more
rear
19
zone
amber
lights
or
amber
directional
arrows,
which
shall
20
be
in
addition
to
any
other
required
lighting
equipment.
An
21
authorized
emergency
vehicle
shall
not
be
equipped
with
an
22
amber
light
positioned
on
the
front
or
side
of
the
vehicle.
23
However,
an
aerial
fire
apparatus
may
be
equipped
with
amber
24
flashing
lights
on
the
outriggers
of
the
apparatus.
25
10.
An
authorized
emergency
vehicle
may
be
equipped
with
26
one
or
more
steady,
oscillating,
or
flashing
white
lights,
27
flashing
headlamps,
or
flashing
reverse
lamps,
which
shall
be
28
in
addition
to
any
other
required
lighting
equipment.
A
light
29
bar
shall
not
be
equipped
or
used
to
display
flashing
white
30
lights
visible
from
the
rear
of
the
vehicle.
This
subsection
31
shall
not
be
construed
to
prohibit
an
authorized
emergency
32
vehicle
owned
by
the
state
or
a
municipality,
as
defined
in
33
section
670.1,
from
being
equipped
with
or
using
a
spotlight
or
34
exterior
light
bar
capable
of
displaying
a
steady
white
light
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for
use
as
a
work
light,
alley
light,
search
light,
or
take
1
down
light.
2
11.
An
authorized
emergency
vehicle
owned
by
a
state
or
a
3
municipality,
as
defined
in
section
670.1,
that
is
primarily
4
used
as
an
incident
command
vehicle
may
be
equipped
with
one
5
or
more
steady
or
flashing
green
lights,
which
shall
be
in
6
addition
to
any
other
required
lighting
equipment.
A
steady
7
or
flashing
green
light
equipped
pursuant
to
this
subsection
8
shall
not
be
activated
unless
the
vehicle
is
being
used
as
9
a
stationary
incident
command
post
at
the
location
of
an
10
emergency
incident,
an
official
training
exercise,
or
for
11
maintenance
or
demonstration
purposes.
12
12.
An
official
fire
department
or
emergency
medical
13
services
vehicle
purchased,
delivered,
or
refurbished
on
or
14
after
July
1,
2021,
shall
be
equipped
with
a
master
warning
15
switch
to
activate
all
emergency
lights
on
the
vehicle,
in
16
addition
to
one
or
more
switches
to
separately
activate
or
17
isolate
the
front,
side,
and
rear
warning
lights.
18
Sec.
4.
Section
321.433,
Code
2021,
is
amended
to
read
as
19
follows:
20
321.433
Sirens,
whistles,
and
bells
prohibited.
21
1.
A
vehicle
shall
not
be
equipped
with
and
a
person
shall
22
not
use
upon
a
vehicle
any
siren,
whistle,
or
bell,
except
as
23
otherwise
permitted
in
this
section
.
It
is
permissible
but
24
not
required
that
any
commercial
vehicle
be
equipped
with
a
25
theft
alarm
signal
device
which
is
so
arranged
that
it
cannot
26
be
used
by
the
driver
as
an
ordinary
warning
signal.
Any
27
authorized
emergency
vehicle
may
be
equipped
with
a
siren,
28
whistle,
or
bell
capable
of
emitting
sound
audible
under
normal
29
conditions
from
a
distance
of
not
less
than
five
hundred
feet,
30
but
the
siren,
whistle,
or
bell
shall
not
be
used
except
when
31
the
vehicle
is
operated
in
response
to
an
emergency
call
,
32
an
incident
dangerous
to
the
public,
an
official
training
33
exercise,
for
maintenance
or
demonstration
purposes,
or
in
34
the
immediate
pursuit
of
an
actual
or
suspected
violator
of
35
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the
law,
and
the
driver
of
the
vehicle
shall
sound
the
siren,
1
whistle,
or
bell
when
necessary
to
warn
pedestrians
and
other
2
drivers
of
the
approach
of
the
vehicle.
3
2.
A
towing
or
recovery
vehicle,
unless
owned
by
the
state
4
or
a
municipality,
as
defined
in
section
670.1,
shall
not
be
5
equipped
with
a
siren.
6
Sec.
5.
Section
805.8A,
subsection
3,
Code
2021,
is
amended
7
by
adding
the
following
new
paragraph:
8
NEW
PARAGRAPH
.
0ac.
Section
321.424
.
.
.
$
45.
9
Sec.
6.
EFFECTIVE
DATE.
This
Act,
being
deemed
of
immediate
10
importance,
takes
effect
upon
enactment.
11
EXPLANATION
12
The
inclusion
of
this
explanation
does
not
constitute
agreement
with
13
the
explanation’s
substance
by
the
members
of
the
general
assembly.
14
This
bill
allows
authorized
emergency
vehicles
to
be
15
equipped
with
a
variety
of
lighting
devices,
including
flashing
16
headlamps,
flashing
or
solid
white
lights,
split
red
and
blue
17
steady
or
flashing
lights,
and
lights
or
light
bars
containing
18
one
or
more
rear
zone
amber
lights
or
amber
directional
arrows.
19
The
bill
requires
authorized
emergency
vehicles
to
be
equipped
20
with
a
combination
of
operational
red
and
blue
lights,
and
21
if
equipped
with
a
light
bar,
requires
the
light
bar
to
be
22
positioned
such
that
the
front
and
rear
facing
red
lights
are
23
on
the
driver’s
side
of
the
vehicle
and
the
front
and
rear
24
facing
blue
lights
are
on
the
passenger’s
side
of
the
vehicle.
25
The
bill
also
requires
an
official
fire
department
or
emergency
26
medical
services
vehicle
purchased,
delivered,
or
refurbished
27
on
or
after
July
1,
2021,
to
be
equipped
with
a
master
warning
28
switch
to
activate
all
emergency
lights
on
the
vehicle,
in
29
addition
to
one
or
more
switches
to
separately
activate
or
30
isolate
the
front,
side,
and
rear
warning
lights.
In
addition,
31
an
incident
command
vehicle
may
be
equipped
with
one
or
more
32
steady
or
flashing
green
lights.
However,
a
towing
or
recovery
33
vehicle,
unless
owned
by
the
state
or
a
municipality,
is
34
prohibited
from
being
equipped
with
red
and
blue
lights
and
a
35
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siren.
1
Under
current
law,
a
violation
of
Code
section
321.423
or
2
321.433
is
punishable
by
a
scheduled
fine
of
$45.
The
bill
3
provides
that
violations
of
Code
section
321.424
are
also
4
punishable
by
a
scheduled
fine
of
$45.
5
The
bill
takes
effect
upon
enactment.
6
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