Senate Study Bill 3132 - Introduced SENATE FILE _____ BY (PROPOSED COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION BILL BY CHAIRPERSON ZUMBACH) A BILL FOR An Act relating to motor vehicles equipped with an excessively 1 dark or reflective front windshield, and making penalties 2 applicable. 3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 4 TLSB 6877XC (3) 91 th/ns

S.F. _____ Section 1. Section 321.438, Code 2026, is amended by adding 1 the following new subsection: 2 NEW SUBSECTION . 2A. a. If a person operates on the highway 3 a motor vehicle equipped with a front windshield that meets a 4 minimum standard of transparency of less than fifty percent 5 light transmittance, a peace officer shall issue a citation for 6 a violation of subsection 2 and impound the motor vehicle. In 7 lieu of the officer impounding the motor vehicle, the person 8 may instead do any of the following: 9 (1) Immediately remove or modify the material that was 10 applied to the windshield until the windshield meets a minimum 11 standard of transparency of at least seventy percent light 12 transmittance. 13 (2) Remove the motor vehicle from the highway without 14 unreasonable delay by towing the vehicle or by having the 15 vehicle towed. 16 b. A person shall not operate on the highway a vehicle 17 that is impounded or towed pursuant to this subsection until 18 the vehicle’s front windshield meets a minimum standard of 19 transparency of at least seventy percent light transmittance. 20 c. Paragraph “a” does not apply to a person who operates 21 a motor vehicle owned or leased by a federal, state, or local 22 law enforcement agency if the operation is part of the person’s 23 official duties. 24 EXPLANATION 25 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 26 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly. 27 Under current law, a person is prohibited from operating a 28 motor vehicle equipped with a front windshield, a side window 29 to the immediate right or left of the driver, or a sidewing 30 forward of and to the left or right of the driver which is 31 excessively dark or reflective so that it is difficult for a 32 person outside the motor vehicle to see into the motor vehicle 33 through the window. Under rules adopted by the department of 34 transportation (DOT) (761 IAC 450.5), “excessively dark or 35 -1- LSB 6877XC (3) 91 th/ns 1/ 2

S.F. _____ reflective” means the window does not meet a minimum standard 1 of transparency of 70 percent light transmittance. However, 2 the requirement does not apply to a person who operates a motor 3 vehicle owned or leased by a federal, state, or local law 4 enforcement agency if the operation is part of the person’s 5 official duties. 6 This bill requires a peace officer to issue a citation 7 and impound a motor vehicle equipped with a front windshield 8 that meets a minimum standard of transparency of less than 9 50 percent light transmittance. However, in lieu of the 10 officer impounding the motor vehicle, a person may instead 11 immediately remove or modify the material that was applied to 12 the windshield until the windshield meets a minimum standard 13 of transparency of at least 70 percent light transmittance or 14 remove the motor vehicle from the highway without unreasonable 15 delay by towing the vehicle or by having the vehicle towed. 16 The bill prohibits a person from operating a motor vehicle that 17 is impounded or towed pursuant to the bill until the windshield 18 meets a minimum standard of transparency of at least 70 percent 19 light transmittance. 20 The bill does not apply to a person who operates a motor 21 vehicle owned or leased by a federal, state, or local law 22 enforcement agency if the operation is part of the person’s 23 official duties. 24 A violation of Code section 321.438 is punishable by a 25 scheduled fine of $70. 26 -2- LSB 6877XC (3) 91 th/ns 2/ 2