Senate
File
551
-
Introduced
SENATE
FILE
551
BY
COMMITTEE
ON
TRANSPORTATION
(SUCCESSOR
TO
SF
503)
A
BILL
FOR
An
Act
relating
to
fire
fighters
and
emergency
medical
services
1
members
responding
to
emergency
situations
in
certain
2
vehicles.
3
BE
IT
ENACTED
BY
THE
GENERAL
ASSEMBLY
OF
THE
STATE
OF
IOWA:
4
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551
Section
1.
NEW
SECTION
.
321.231A
Fire
fighters
and
1
emergency
medical
services
members
responding
to
emergency
2
situations.
3
1.
The
driver
of
a
vehicle
displaying
fire
fighter
or
4
emergency
medical
services
registration
plates
issued
pursuant
5
to
section
321.34,
subsection
10
or
10A,
who
is
a
current
6
member
of
a
paid
or
volunteer
fire
department
or
emergency
7
medical
services
agency,
may
reasonably
exceed
the
maximum
8
speed
limits
based
on
the
facts
and
circumstances
at
the
time
9
when
responding
to,
but
not
upon
returning
from,
an
emergency
10
call
or
fire
alarm,
only
if
the
driver
has
received
emergency
11
vehicle
operations
training
and
is
making
use
of
a
blue
light
12
pursuant
to
section
321.423,
subsection
3.
13
2.
The
provisions
of
this
section
shall
not
relieve
the
14
driver
from
the
duty
to
drive
with
due
regard
for
the
safety
of
15
all
other
persons,
nor
shall
such
provisions
protect
the
driver
16
from
the
consequences
of
the
driver’s
reckless
disregard
for
17
the
safety
of
others.
18
3.
A
court
shall
dismiss
and
expunge
from
a
driver’s
19
record
any
excessive
speed
violation
citations
issued
to
a
20
driver
under
circumstances
in
which
the
driver
complied
with
21
subsection
1,
if
the
driver
presents
to
the
court
a
signed
22
statement
from
the
applicable
fire
chief
or
chief
officer
of
23
an
emergency
medical
services
agency
providing
details
about
24
the
driver’s
operation
of
the
vehicle
while
responding
to
an
25
emergency
call
or
fire
alarm,
which
operation
resulted
in
the
26
citation.
27
Sec.
2.
Section
321.423,
subsection
3,
paragraph
a,
Code
28
2021,
is
amended
by
adding
the
following
new
subparagraph:
29
NEW
SUBPARAGRAPH
.
(03)
A
vehicle
authorized
by
the
chief
30
officer
of
an
emergency
medical
services
agency,
if
the
vehicle
31
is
owned
by
a
member
of
the
emergency
medical
services
agency,
32
the
request
for
authorization
is
made
by
the
member
on
forms
33
provided
by
the
department,
and
necessity
for
authorization
34
to
respond
to
an
emergency
call
or
fire
alarm
under
section
35
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551
321.231A
is
demonstrated
in
the
request.
1
Sec.
3.
Section
321.423,
subsection
3,
paragraph
b,
Code
2
2021,
is
amended
to
read
as
follows:
3
b.
A
person
shall
not
use
only
a
blue
light
on
a
vehicle
4
unless
the
vehicle
meets
the
requirements
of
paragraph
“a”
,
5
subparagraph
(1)
,
or
(2)
,
or
(03)
.
6
EXPLANATION
7
The
inclusion
of
this
explanation
does
not
constitute
agreement
with
8
the
explanation’s
substance
by
the
members
of
the
general
assembly.
9
Under
current
law,
the
driver
of
a
fire
department
vehicle,
10
police
vehicle,
rescue
vehicle,
or
ambulance,
or
a
peace
11
officer
riding
a
police
bicycle
in
the
line
of
duty,
is
12
authorized
to
exceed
the
maximum
speed
limits
so
long
as
the
13
driver
does
not
endanger
life
or
property,
including
the
14
driver’s.
15
This
bill
allows
the
driver
of
a
vehicle
displaying
fire
16
fighter
or
emergency
medical
services
registration
plates
to
17
reasonably
exceed
the
maximum
speed
limits
based
on
the
facts
18
and
circumstances
at
the
time
when
responding
to,
but
not
upon
19
returning
from,
an
emergency
call
or
fire
alarm.
The
driver
20
must
have
received
emergency
vehicle
operations
training
and
21
make
use
of
a
blue
light.
22
The
bill
does
not
relieve
the
driver
from
the
duty
to
drive
23
with
due
regard
for
the
safety
of
all
other
persons,
and
the
24
bill
does
not
protect
the
driver
from
the
consequences
of
the
25
driver’s
reckless
disregard
for
the
safety
of
others.
26
A
person
who
is
a
current
member
of
a
paid
or
volunteer
27
emergency
medical
services
agency,
or
a
current
or
retired
28
member
of
a
paid
or
volunteer
fire
department,
may
apply
for
29
fire
fighter
or
emergency
medical
services
registration
plates.
30
The
bill
does
not
apply
to
a
retired
member
of
a
paid
or
31
volunteer
fire
department
who
drives
a
vehicle
displaying
fire
32
fighter
plates.
33
The
bill
requires
a
court
to
dismiss
and
expunge
from
a
34
driver’s
record
any
speeding
citation
issued
to
a
driver
under
35
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551
circumstances
in
which
the
driver
complied
with
the
bill
1
and
who
presents
to
the
court
a
signed
statement
from
the
2
applicable
fire
chief
or
chief
officer
of
an
emergency
medical
3
services
agency
providing
details
about
the
driver’s
operation
4
of
the
vehicle
while
responding
to
an
emergency
call
or
fire
5
alarm,
which
operation
resulted
in
the
citation.
6
Under
current
law,
vehicles
owned
or
exclusively
operated
by
7
a
fire
department
and
vehicles
authorized
by
the
chief
of
the
8
fire
department,
if
owned
by
a
member
of
the
fire
department,
9
may
use
only
a
flashing
blue
light
if
a
request
is
made
by
the
10
member
to,
and
approved
by,
the
department
of
transportation
11
(DOT).
The
bill
extends
the
authorized
use
of
a
flashing
12
blue
light
to
vehicles
authorized
by
the
chief
officer
of
13
an
emergency
medical
services
agency,
when
a
member
of
such
14
organization
makes
a
similar
request
to
the
DOT
to
display
a
15
blue
light
for
purposes
of
the
bill.
16
Drivers
who
exceed
the
lawful
speed
limit
are
subject
to
a
17
scheduled
fine
based
on
the
level
of
excess
speed
as
provided
18
in
Code
section
805.8A(5),
ranging
from
$30
for
a
violation
of
19
less
than
five
miles
per
hour
over
the
limit
to
$135
plus
$5
20
for
each
mile
per
hour
in
excess
of
20
miles
per
hour
over
the
21
limit.
22
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