Bill Text: IA HF500 | 2019-2020 | 88th General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: A bill for an act relating to electric scooters, and providing penalties. (Formerly HSB 38.)
Spectrum: Committee Bill
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2019-04-04 - Referred to Transportation. H.J. 755. [HF500 Detail]
Download: Iowa-2019-HF500-Introduced.html
House
File
500
-
Introduced
HOUSE
FILE
500
BY
COMMITTEE
ON
TRANSPORTATION
(SUCCESSOR
TO
HSB
38)
A
BILL
FOR
An
Act
relating
to
electric
scooters,
and
providing
penalties.
1
BE
IT
ENACTED
BY
THE
GENERAL
ASSEMBLY
OF
THE
STATE
OF
IOWA:
2
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500
Section
1.
Section
321.1,
Code
2019,
is
amended
by
adding
1
the
following
new
subsection:
2
NEW
SUBSECTION
.
20C.
“Electric
scooter”
means
a
device
3
weighing
less
than
one
hundred
pounds
that
is
equipped
with
4
handlebars
and
an
electric
motor,
and
which
is
solely
powered
5
by
a
rider
or
by
an
electric
motor
capable
of
propelling
the
6
device
without
additional
propulsion
supplied
by
the
rider
at
a
7
maximum
speed
on
a
paved
level
surface
of
no
more
than
twenty
8
miles
per
hour,
or
both.
“Electric
scooter”
does
not
include
an
9
electric
personal
assistive
mobility
device,
a
bicycle,
or
any
10
vehicle
including
any
motor
vehicle.
11
Sec.
2.
Section
321.1,
subsection
90,
Code
2019,
is
amended
12
by
adding
the
following
new
paragraph:
13
NEW
PARAGRAPH
.
e.
An
electric
scooter.
14
Sec.
3.
NEW
SECTION
.
321.235B
Electric
scooters.
15
1.
A
person
may
operate
an
electric
scooter
on
highways
16
with
a
speed
limit
of
thirty-five
miles
per
hour
or
less,
17
bikeways,
and
sidewalks
in
accordance
with
this
section.
A
18
person
may
operate
an
electric
scooter
on
a
highway
with
19
a
speed
limit
of
more
than
thirty-five
miles
per
hour
for
20
purposes
of
crossing
the
highway
if
the
crossing
is
made
at
an
21
angle
of
approximately
ninety
degrees
to
the
direction
of
the
22
highway
at
a
place
where
no
obstruction
prevents
a
quick
and
23
safe
crossing,
the
electric
scooter
is
brought
to
a
complete
24
stop
before
crossing
the
shoulder
or
traveled
portion
of
the
25
highway,
the
person
yields
the
right-of-way
to
all
oncoming
26
traffic
which
constitutes
an
immediate
hazard,
and,
if
crossing
27
a
divided
highway,
the
crossing
is
made
only
at
an
intersection
28
of
such
highway
with
another
highway.
29
2.
A
person
operating
an
electric
scooter
on
a
highway
is
30
subject
to
the
provisions
of
this
chapter
applicable
to
a
rider
31
of
a
bicycle
on
a
highway
and
has
all
the
rights
and
duties
32
under
this
chapter
applicable
to
a
rider
of
a
bicycle,
except
33
those
provisions
of
this
chapter
which
by
their
nature
can
34
have
no
application,
or
except
as
otherwise
provided
in
this
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section.
Any
ordinance
adopted
by
a
local
authority
applicable
1
to
bicycles
shall
apply
to
electric
scooters,
except
to
the
2
extent
such
an
ordinance
conflicts
with
this
section.
3
3.
Except
for
provisions
of
the
Code
made
specifically
4
applicable
to
electric
scooters
in
this
section,
electric
5
scooters
are
not
subject
to
provisions
of
the
Code
applicable
6
to
vehicles,
including
provisions
relating
to
all
of
the
7
following:
8
a.
Licensure,
registration,
titling,
inspection,
and
proof
9
of
financial
liability
coverage.
10
b.
Possession
of
a
driver’s
license
or
permit.
11
c.
The
rental
of
motor
vehicles.
12
4.
A
person
operating
an
electric
scooter
on
a
bikeway
or
13
sidewalk
shall
do
all
of
the
following:
14
a.
Yield
the
right-of-way
to
pedestrians
and
human-powered
15
devices.
16
b.
Give
an
audible
signal
before
overtaking
and
passing
a
17
pedestrian
or
human-powered
device.
18
5.
An
electric
scooter
shall,
at
the
times
specified
19
in
section
321.384,
be
equipped
with
lamps
meeting
the
20
requirements
of
bicycle
lamps
under
section
321.397.
This
21
subsection
shall
not
be
construed
to
authorize
the
use
of
a
red
22
reflector
in
lieu
of
a
rear
lamp.
23
6.
A
person
may
park
an
electric
scooter
at
any
location
24
where
parking
a
bicycle
is
allowed.
However,
by
parking
an
25
electric
scooter,
a
person
shall
not
impede
the
normal
or
26
reasonable
movement
of
pedestrian
or
other
traffic.
27
7.
A
person
convicted
of
a
violation
of
this
section
is
28
guilty
of
a
simple
misdemeanor
punishable
as
a
scheduled
29
violation
under
section
805.8A,
subsection
9A.
30
Sec.
4.
Section
805.8A,
subsection
9A,
Code
2019,
is
amended
31
to
read
as
follows:
32
9A.
Electric
personal
assistive
mobility
device
33
violations.
For
electric
device
violations
under
section
34
321.235A
the
following
sections
,
the
scheduled
fine
is
fifteen
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500
dollars.
as
follows:
1
a.
Section
321.235A
.
.
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.
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.
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.
.
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.
.
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.
.
$15.
2
b.
Section
321.235B
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
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$15.
3
EXPLANATION
4
The
inclusion
of
this
explanation
does
not
constitute
agreement
with
5
the
explanation’s
substance
by
the
members
of
the
general
assembly.
6
This
bill
regulates
the
operation
of
electric
scooters,
as
7
defined
in
the
bill.
The
bill
excludes
electric
scooters
from
8
the
definition
of
“vehicle”
under
Code
section
321.1,
thereby
9
making
the
provisions
of
Code
chapter
321
(motor
vehicles
10
and
law
of
the
road)
relating
to
vehicles,
motor
vehicles,
11
automobiles,
and
cars
inapplicable
to
electric
scooters.
12
The
bill
authorizes
a
person
to
operate
an
electric
scooter
13
on
highways
with
a
speed
limit
of
35
miles
per
hour
or
less,
14
bikeways,
and
sidewalks.
The
bill
specifies
that
a
person
may
15
operate
an
electric
scooter
on
a
highway
with
a
speed
limit
16
of
more
than
35
miles
per
hour
for
purposes
of
crossing
the
17
highway
if
the
crossing
is
made
at
an
angle
of
approximately
18
90
degrees
to
the
direction
of
the
highway
at
a
place
where
no
19
obstruction
prevents
a
quick
and
safe
crossing,
the
electric
20
scooter
is
brought
to
a
complete
stop
before
crossing
the
21
shoulder
or
traveled
portion
of
the
highway,
the
person
yields
22
the
right-of-way
to
all
oncoming
traffic
which
constitutes
23
an
immediate
hazard,
and,
if
crossing
a
divided
highway,
the
24
crossing
is
made
only
at
an
intersection
of
such
highway
with
25
another
highway.
26
The
bill
provides
that
a
person
operating
an
electric
27
scooter
on
a
highway
is
subject
to
the
provisions
of
Code
28
chapter
321
applicable
to
a
rider
of
a
bicycle
on
a
highway
and
29
has
all
the
rights
and
duties
under
Code
chapter
321
applicable
30
to
a
rider
of
a
bicycle,
except
those
provisions
which
by
their
31
nature
can
have
no
application,
or
except
as
otherwise
provided
32
in
the
bill.
Under
Code
section
321.234,
a
person
riding
a
33
bicycle
on
a
highway
is
subject
to
the
provisions
of
Code
34
chapter
321
and
has
all
the
rights
and
duties
applicable
to
a
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driver
of
a
vehicle,
except
those
provisions
which
by
their
1
nature
can
have
no
application.
Code
section
321.194
also
2
prohibits
a
person
from
using
a
bicycle
on
a
highway
to
carry
3
more
persons
at
one
time
than
the
number
of
persons
for
which
4
the
bicycle
is
designed
and
equipped.
Code
section
321.281
5
prohibits
a
person
operating
a
motor
vehicle
from
steering
the
6
motor
vehicle
unreasonably
close
to
or
toward
a
person
riding
7
a
bicycle
on
a
highway,
including
the
roadway
or
the
shoulder
8
adjacent
to
the
roadway,
and
prohibits
a
person
from
knowingly
9
projecting
any
object
or
substance
at
or
against
a
person
10
riding
a
bicycle
on
a
highway.
Code
section
321.434
prohibits
11
a
bicycle
from
being
equipped
with,
and
a
person
from
using
12
upon
a
bicycle,
any
siren
or
whistle.
13
Under
the
bill,
any
ordinance
adopted
by
a
local
authority
14
applicable
to
bicycles
applies
to
electric
scooters,
except
to
15
the
extent
such
an
ordinance
conflicts
with
the
bill.
16
The
bill
provides
that
except
for
provisions
of
the
Code
17
made
specifically
applicable
to
electric
scooters
in
the
18
bill,
electric
scooters
are
not
subject
to
provisions
of
the
19
Code
applicable
to
vehicles,
including
provisions
relating
20
to
licensure,
registration,
titling,
inspection,
proof
of
21
financial
liability
coverage,
possession
of
a
driver’s
license
22
or
permit,
and
the
rental
of
motor
vehicles.
23
The
bill
requires
a
person
operating
an
electric
scooter
on
24
a
bikeway
or
sidewalk
to
yield
the
right-of-way
to
pedestrians
25
and
human-powered
devices,
and
to
give
an
audible
signal
before
26
overtaking
and
passing
a
pedestrian
or
human-powered
device.
27
The
bill
requires
an
electric
scooter
to,
at
the
times
28
specified
in
Code
section
321.384,
be
equipped
with
lamps
29
meeting
the
requirements
of
bicycle
lamps
under
Code
section
30
321.397.
The
times
specified
in
Code
section
321.384
include
31
any
time
from
sunset
to
sunrise,
and
at
such
other
times
32
when
conditions
such
as
fog,
snow,
sleet,
or
rain
provide
33
insufficient
lighting
to
render
clearly
discernible
persons
and
34
vehicles
on
the
highway
at
a
distance
of
500
feet
ahead.
Code
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section
321.397
requires
front
bicycle
lamps
to
exhibit
a
white
1
light
visible
from
a
distance
of
at
least
300
feet
to
the
front
2
and
rear
bicycle
lamps
to
exhibit
a
red
light
visible
from
a
3
distance
of
300
feet
to
the
rear.
The
bill
does
not
authorize
4
the
use
of
a
red
reflector
in
lieu
of
a
rear
lamp.
5
The
bill
allows
a
person
to
park
an
electric
scooter
at
any
6
location
where
parking
a
bicycle
is
allowed.
However,
the
7
bill
provides
that
by
parking
an
electric
scooter,
a
person
is
8
prohibited
from
impeding
the
normal
or
reasonable
movement
of
9
pedestrian
or
other
traffic.
10
A
violation
of
the
bill
is
punishable
by
a
scheduled
fine
of
11
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