Senate
File
551
-
Reprinted
SENATE
FILE
551
BY
COMMITTEE
ON
TRANSPORTATION
(SUCCESSOR
TO
SF
503)
(As
Amended
and
Passed
by
the
Senate
March
17,
2021
)
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.
Notwithstanding
section
321.231,
the
driver
of
a
vehicle
4
making
use
of
a
blue
light
pursuant
to
section
321.423,
5
subsection
3,
or
displaying
fire
fighter
or
emergency
medical
6
services
registration
plates
issued
pursuant
to
section
321.34,
7
subsection
10
or
10A,
may
reasonably
exceed
the
maximum
speed
8
limits
based
on
the
facts
and
circumstances
at
the
time,
only
9
if
all
of
the
following
apply:
10
a.
The
driver
is
a
current
member
of
a
paid
or
volunteer
11
fire
department
or
emergency
medical
services
agency.
12
b.
The
driver
is
responding
to,
but
not
returning
from,
an
13
emergency
call
or
fire
alarm.
14
c.
The
driver
has
received
emergency
vehicle
operations
15
training.
16
2.
The
provisions
of
this
section
shall
not
relieve
the
17
driver
from
the
duty
to
drive
with
due
regard
for
the
safety
of
18
all
other
persons,
nor
shall
such
provisions
protect
the
driver
19
from
the
consequences
of
the
driver’s
reckless
disregard
for
20
the
safety
of
others.
21
3.
A
court
shall
dismiss
and
expunge
from
a
driver’s
22
record
any
excessive
speed
violation
citations
issued
to
a
23
driver
under
circumstances
in
which
the
driver
complied
with
24
subsection
1,
if
the
driver
presents
to
the
court
a
signed
25
statement
from
the
applicable
fire
chief
or
chief
officer
of
26
an
emergency
medical
services
agency
providing
details
about
27
the
driver’s
operation
of
the
vehicle
while
responding
to
an
28
emergency
call
or
fire
alarm,
which
operation
resulted
in
the
29
citation.
This
subsection
does
not
apply
to
a
driver
who
holds
30
a
commercial
driver’s
license
or
commercial
learner’s
permit.
31
Sec.
2.
Section
321.423,
subsection
3,
paragraph
a,
Code
32
2021,
is
amended
by
adding
the
following
new
subparagraph:
33
NEW
SUBPARAGRAPH
.
(03)
A
vehicle
authorized
by
the
chief
34
officer
of
an
emergency
medical
services
agency,
if
the
vehicle
35
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S.F.
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is
owned
by
a
member
of
the
emergency
medical
services
agency,
1
the
request
for
authorization
is
made
by
the
member
on
forms
2
provided
by
the
department,
and
necessity
for
authorization
3
to
respond
to
an
emergency
call
or
fire
alarm
under
section
4
321.231A
is
demonstrated
in
the
request.
5
Sec.
3.
Section
321.423,
subsection
3,
paragraph
b,
Code
6
2021,
is
amended
to
read
as
follows:
7
b.
A
person
shall
not
use
only
a
blue
light
on
a
vehicle
8
unless
the
vehicle
meets
the
requirements
of
paragraph
“a”
,
9
subparagraph
(1)
,
or
(2)
,
or
(03)
.
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