Bill Text: IA HF2019 | 2015-2016 | 86th General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: A bill for an act requiring the use of headlamps and other lighting devices on vehicles at all times during inclement weather, and making a penalty applicable.

Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2016-01-13 - Subcommittee, Holz, Maxwell, and Stutsman. H.J. 75. [HF2019 Detail]

Download: Iowa-2015-HF2019-Introduced.html

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House File 2019 - Introduced




                                 HOUSE FILE       
                                 BY  RUFF

                                      A BILL FOR

  1 An Act requiring the use of headlamps and other lighting
  2    devices on vehicles at all times during inclement weather,
  3    and making a penalty applicable.
  4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
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PAG LIN



  1  1    Section 1.  Section 321.384, subsection 1, Code 2016, is
  1  2 amended to read as follows:
  1  3    1.  Every motor vehicle upon a highway within the state, at
  1  4 any time from sunset to sunrise, and at such other all times
  1  5 when conditions during inclement weather such as fog, snow,
  1  6 sleet, or rain provide insufficient lighting to render clearly
  1  7 discernible persons and vehicles on the highway at a distance
  1  8 of five hundred feet ahead, shall display lighted headlamps as
  1  9 provided in section 321.415, subject to exceptions with respect
  1 10 to parked vehicles as hereinafter stated.
  1 11                           EXPLANATION
  1 12 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
  1 13 the explanation's substance by the members of the general assembly.
  1 14    Under current law, motor vehicles are required to display
  1 15 lighted headlamps when conditions such as fog, snow, sleet,
  1 16 or rain provide insufficient lighting to render clearly
  1 17 discernible persons and vehicles on the highway at a distance
  1 18 of 500 feet ahead. This bill expands that provision to require
  1 19 motor vehicles to display lighted headlamps at all times during
  1 20 inclement weather such as fog, snow, sleet, or rain.
  1 21    A violation of Code section 321.384 is punishable by a
  1 22 scheduled fine of $30.
  1 23    By operation of law, the bill also applies to headlights
  1 24 on electric personal assistive mobility devices (Code section
  1 25 321.235A), clearance and identification lights on semi trucks
  1 26 and trailers (Code section 321.392), lamps on projecting loads
  1 27 (Code section 321.394), lamps on parked vehicles (Code section
  1 28 321.395), lamps on bicycles (Code section 321.397), lamps on
  1 29 animal=drawn and other slow=moving vehicles (Code section
  1 30 321.398), the illumination of mechanical signal devices (Code
  1 31 section 321.405), the use of high and low composite beams (Code
  1 32 section 321.415), the use of alternate road=lighting equipment
  1 33 (Code section 321.418), and the use of two headlamps (Code
  1 34 section 321.419).
  1 35    The bill does not affect the exemption from headlamp
  2  1 requirements under Code section 456A.12 for official law
  2  2 enforcement vehicles being used in criminal investigations or
  2  3 while attempting to apprehend suspected criminals.
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