House
Study
Bill
297
-
Introduced
HOUSE
FILE
_____
BY
(PROPOSED
COMMITTEE
ON
LOCAL
GOVERNMENT
BILL
BY
CHAIRPERSON
JONES)
A
BILL
FOR
An
Act
relating
to
motor
vehicle
accident
reports,
including
1
the
amount
of
property
damage
necessary
for
a
report
and
the
2
period
in
which
a
law
enforcement
officer
must
forward
a
3
report
to
the
department
of
transportation.
4
BE
IT
ENACTED
BY
THE
GENERAL
ASSEMBLY
OF
THE
STATE
OF
IOWA:
5
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Section
1.
Section
321.266,
subsections
2
and
3,
Code
2025,
1
are
amended
to
read
as
follows:
2
2.
The
driver
of
a
vehicle
involved
in
an
accident
resulting
3
in
injury
to
or
death
of
any
person,
or
total
property
damage
4
to
an
apparent
extent
of
one
seven
thousand
five
hundred
5
dollars
or
more
,
shall
,
within
seventy-two
hours
after
the
6
accident,
forward
a
written
report
of
the
accident
to
the
7
department
within
seventy-two
hours
after
the
accident
.
8
However,
such
report
is
not
required
when
if
the
accident
is
9
investigated
by
a
law
enforcement
agency.
10
3.
Every
law
enforcement
officer
who,
in
the
regular
course
11
of
duty,
investigates
a
motor
vehicle
accident
of
which
report
12
must
be
made
as
required
in
subsections
1
and
2
,
either
at
13
the
time
of
and
at
the
scene
of
the
accident
or
thereafter
14
by
interviewing
participants
or
witnesses
shall
,
within
15
twenty-four
hours
after
completing
such
investigation,
forward
16
a
written
report
of
such
accident
to
the
department.
17
EXPLANATION
18
The
inclusion
of
this
explanation
does
not
constitute
agreement
with
19
the
explanation’s
substance
by
the
members
of
the
general
assembly.
20
Under
current
law,
the
driver
of
a
vehicle
involved
in
21
an
accident
resulting
in
injury
to
or
death
of
any
person,
22
or
total
property
damage
to
an
apparent
extent
of
$1,500
or
23
more,
must
forward
a
written
report
of
the
accident
to
the
24
department
of
transportation
(DOT)
within
72
hours
after
the
25
accident.
However,
such
report
is
not
required
when
the
26
accident
is
investigated
by
a
law
enforcement
agency.
Every
27
law
enforcement
officer
who
investigates
a
motor
vehicle
28
accident
for
which
a
report
must
be
made
is
required
to,
within
29
24
hours
after
completing
such
investigation,
forward
a
written
30
report
of
such
accident
to
the
DOT.
31
This
bill
increases
the
minimum
amount
of
total
property
32
damage
necessary
before
an
accident
report
is
required
from
33
$1,500
to
$7,500.
The
bill
strikes
the
24-hour
requirement
34
for
a
law
enforcement
officer
who
investigated
an
accident
to
35
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forward
a
written
report
to
the
DOT.
1
By
operation
of
law,
a
driver
of
a
vehicle
who
strikes
2
fixtures
upon
a
highway
is
not
required
to
report
the
accident
3
to
the
DOT
unless
the
apparent
total
property
damage
is
$7,500
4
or
more.
A
driver
involved
in
such
an
accident
is
required
5
to
take
reasonable
steps
to
locate
and
notify
the
owner,
a
6
peace
officer,
or
person
in
charge
of
the
damaged
property
and
7
provide
the
driver’s
name
and
address,
the
registration
number
8
of
the
vehicle
causing
the
damage,
and,
upon
request
and
if
9
available,
exhibit
the
person’s
driver’s
license.
10
The
bill
does
not
amend
similar
reporting
requirements
when
11
a
person
is
in
an
accident
involving
a
snowmobile
(Code
section
12
321G.10)
or
all-terrain
vehicle
(Code
section
321I.11)
that
13
causes
total
property
damage
of
$1,500
or
more.
Such
reports
14
must
be
filed
with
the
DOT
or
the
natural
resource
commission
15
(NRC)
if
the
accident
occurred
on
public
land,
ice,
or
a
16
designated
riding
trail
under
the
jurisdiction
of
the
NRC.
17
By
operation
of
law,
a
person
who
fails
to
forward
a
written
18
accident
report
to
the
DOT,
as
required
under
Code
section
19
321.266(2)
or
(3),
commits
a
simple
misdemeanor
punishable
by
20
confinement
for
no
more
than
30
days
and
a
fine
of
at
least
$105
21
but
not
more
than
$855.
22
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