House File 2103 - Introduced HOUSE FILE 2103 BY FISHER A BILL FOR An Act relating to the speed limit on unpaved roads under 1 county jurisdiction, and making penalties applicable. 2 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 3 TLSB 5178YH (2) 91 th/ns

H.F. 2103 Section 1. Section 321.285, subsection 4, Code 2026, is 1 amended to read as follows: 2 4. A reasonable and proper speed is required, but not 3 greater than fifty-five forty-five miles per hour at any time 4 between sunrise and sunset, and not greater than fifty miles 5 per hour at any time between sunset and sunrise , on secondary 6 roads unless such roads are surfaced with concrete or asphalt 7 or a combination of both, in which case the speed limits shall 8 be the same as provided in subsection 3 . When the board of 9 supervisors of any county shall determine determines upon 10 the basis of an engineering and traffic investigation that 11 the speed limit on any secondary road is greater than is 12 reasonable and proper under the conditions found to exist at 13 any intersection or other place or upon any part of a secondary 14 road, the board shall determine and declare a reasonable and 15 proper speed limit at the intersection or other part of the 16 secondary road. The speed limits as determined by the board 17 of supervisors shall be effective when appropriate signs 18 giving notice of the speed limits are erected by the board of 19 supervisors at the intersection or other place or part of the 20 highway. 21 Sec. 2. IMPLEMENTATION. Notwithstanding section 22 321.252, 321.255, 321.285, or any other provision of law 23 to the contrary, when updating speed limit signs as a 24 result of the enactment of this Act, a county may attach 25 nonpermanent overlays or stickers approved by the department 26 of transportation to existing speed limit signs in order to 27 display the new speed limit. The nonpermanent overlays or 28 stickers may be used by the county until the applicable speed 29 limit sign is replaced based on the county’s replacement 30 schedule and any applicable specifications or requirements. 31 EXPLANATION 32 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 33 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly. 34 Under current law, the maximum speed limit on roads under 35 -1- LSB 5178YH (2) 91 th/ns 1/ 2

H.F. 2103 county jurisdiction (secondary roads) is 55 miles per hour, 1 unless such roads are not surfaced with concrete or asphalt, in 2 which case the maximum speed limit is 55 miles per hour at any 3 time between sunrise and sunset and 50 miles per hour at any 4 time between sunset and sunrise. If, based on an engineering 5 and traffic investigation, the board of supervisors finds 6 that the speed limit on a secondary road under the board’s 7 jurisdiction is greater than is reasonable and proper, the 8 board is required to determine and declare a reasonable and 9 proper speed limit and post signs giving notice of the speed 10 limit. 11 This bill reduces the maximum speed limit on secondary 12 roads to 45 miles per hour if such roads are not surfaced with 13 concrete or asphalt, regardless of daylight. 14 The bill authorizes a county, when updating speed limit 15 signs as a result of the bill, to attach nonpermanent overlays 16 or stickers approved by the department of transportation to 17 existing speed limit signs in order to display the new speed 18 limit. The nonpermanent overlays or stickers may be used by 19 the county until the applicable speed limit sign is replaced 20 based on the county’s replacement schedule and any applicable 21 specifications or requirements. 22 A person who exceeds a speed limit under Code section 321.285 23 is guilty of a simple misdemeanor punishable by a scheduled 24 fine that varies depending on the excessive speed over the 25 limit. The fine ranges from $30 for a speed in excess of the 26 limit by not more than 5 miles per hour to $135 plus $5 for each 27 mile per hour of excessive speed over 20 miles per hour over 28 the limit, with increased fines in road work zones. 29 -2- LSB 5178YH (2) 91 th/ns 2/ 2