Bill Text: IA HF654 | 2021-2022 | 89th General Assembly | Enrolled

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Bill Title: A bill for an act relating to lighting devices and other equipment on snow plows and authorized emergency vehicles, providing penalties, making penalties applicable, and including effective date provisions. (Formerly HSB 189.) Effective date: 05/10/2021.

Spectrum: Committee Bill

Status: (Passed) 2021-05-10 - Signed by Governor. H.J. 1099. [HF654 Detail]

Download: Iowa-2021-HF654-Enrolled.html

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House File 654 - Enrolled
House File 654
AN ACT
RELATING TO LIGHTING DEVICES AND OTHER EQUIPMENT ON SNOW PLOWS
AND AUTHORIZED EMERGENCY VEHICLES, PROVIDING PENALTIES,
MAKING PENALTIES APPLICABLE, AND INCLUDING EFFECTIVE DATE
PROVISIONS.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
Section 1. Section 321.393, subsections 4 and 5, Code 2021,
are amended to read as follows:
4. The provisions of this section shall not prohibit the
use of a lighting device or reflector displaying an amber light
when such lighting device or reflector is mounted on a motor
truck, trailer, tractor, or motor grader owned by the state,
or any political subdivision of the state, or any municipality
therein including any local authority , while such equipment is

House File 654, p. 2
being used for snow removal, sanding, maintenance, or repair of
the public streets or highways.
5. The provisions of this section shall not prohibit the
use of a lighting device or reflector displaying an amber,
white, or blue light when the lighting device or reflector is
rear-facing and mounted on a motor truck, trailer, tractor,
truck-mounted snow blower, or motor grader owned by the
department state or any political subdivision of the state,
including any local authority, while the equipment is being
used for snow and ice treatment or removal on the public
streets or highways.
Sec. 2. Section 321.423, subsection 2, paragraph f, Code
2021, is amended to read as follows:
f. A flashing white light , including a flashing headlamp, is
permitted on a vehicle pursuant to subsection 7 .
Sec. 3. Section 321.423, subsection 3, paragraph a,
subparagraphs (3) and (4), Code 2021, are amended to read as
follows:
(3) An authorized emergency vehicle, other than a vehicle
described in paragraph “a” , subparagraph (1) or (2) , if the blue
light is positioned on the passenger side of the vehicle and is
used in conjunction with a red light positioned on the driver
side of the vehicle .
(4) A motor truck, trailer, tractor, truck-mounted snow
blower, or motor grader owned by the department state or
any political subdivision of the state, including any local
authority, if the blue light is rear-facing and used in
conjunction with amber and white lighting devices or reflectors
while the equipment is being used for snow and ice treatment or
removal on the public streets or highways.
Sec. 4. Section 321.423, subsection 7, paragraph a,
subparagraph (4), Code 2021, is amended to read as follows:
(4) On a motor truck, trailer, tractor, truck-mounted
snow blower, or motor grader owned by the department state or
any political subdivision of the state, including any local
authority, if the white light is rear-facing and used in
conjunction with amber and blue lighting devices or reflectors
while the equipment is being used for snow and ice treatment or

House File 654, p. 3
removal on the public streets or highways.
Sec. 5. Section 321.423, subsection 7, paragraph a, Code
2021, is amended by adding the following new subparagraphs:
NEW SUBPARAGRAPH . (5) On a motor truck or trailer owned
and operated by the department equipped with an impact
attenuator and audible warning system, if the flashing white
light is rear-facing on the audible warning system and used in
conjunction with amber lighting devices or reflectors while
the motor truck or trailer is being used for slow-moving
maintenance operations.
NEW SUBPARAGRAPH . (6) On a vehicle or other equipment
not owned and operated by the department when used in road
work zones on state or local highways as authorized by the
department. The department shall adopt rules pursuant to
chapter 17A regarding the vehicles or equipment eligible to use
a flashing white light under this subparagraph.
Sec. 6. NEW SECTION . 321.424 Authorized emergency vehicle
lights.
Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary:
1. An authorized emergency vehicle may be equipped with
a combination of interior and exterior lights, flashing
headlamps, and flashing tail lamps as provided in this section
and in this chapter.
2. An official law enforcement, fire department, emergency
medical services, or emergency management vehicle owned by the
state or a municipality, as defined in section 670.1, may be
equipped with flashing headlamps.
3. An authorized emergency vehicle owned by the state,
a municipality, as defined in section 670.1, or a private
emergency medical services company delivering services to the
state, a municipality, or a hospital pursuant to a written
contract, or a privately owned vehicle designated as an
authorized emergency vehicle pursuant to section 321.451, shall
be equipped with a combination of operational red and blue
lights.
4. An authorized emergency vehicle equipped with an
interior or exterior light bar must have the light bar
positioned such that front and rear facing red lights are on
the driver’s side of the vehicle and front and rear facing blue

House File 654, p. 4
lights are on the passenger’s side of the vehicle.
5. An authorized emergency vehicle equipped with an
interior or exterior light bar with red and blue flashing
lights may be equipped with flashing or solid white lights
scattered among or between a clear or colored lens that
displays a red or blue flashing light.
6. An authorized emergency vehicle may be equipped with one
or more lights capable of emitting a split red and blue steady
or flashing light, which may be mounted on or in the vehicle.
7. An authorized emergency vehicle may be equipped with one
or more lights on the side of the vehicle capable of emitting
red and blue light, red and white light, or blue and white
light.
8. An authorized emergency vehicle may be equipped with one
or more lights with a clear or colored lens.
9. An official law enforcement, fire, rescue, emergency
medical services, or emergency management vehicle may be
equipped with lights or light bars containing one or more rear
zone amber lights or amber directional arrows, which shall
be in addition to any other required lighting equipment. An
authorized emergency vehicle shall not be equipped with an
amber light positioned on the front or side of the vehicle.
However, an aerial fire apparatus may be equipped with amber
flashing lights on the outriggers of the apparatus.
10. An authorized emergency vehicle may be equipped with
one or more steady, oscillating, or flashing white lights,
flashing headlamps, or flashing reverse lamps, which shall be
in addition to any other required lighting equipment. A light
bar shall not be equipped or used to display flashing white
lights visible from the rear of the vehicle. This subsection
shall not be construed to prohibit an authorized emergency
vehicle owned by the state or a municipality, as defined in
section 670.1, from being equipped with or using a spotlight or
exterior light bar capable of displaying a steady white light
for use as a work light, alley light, search light, or take
down light.
11. An authorized emergency vehicle owned by a state or a
municipality, as defined in section 670.1, that is primarily
used as an incident command vehicle may be equipped with one

House File 654, p. 5
or more steady or flashing green lights, which shall be in
addition to any other required lighting equipment. A steady
or flashing green light equipped pursuant to this subsection
shall not be activated unless the vehicle is being used as
a stationary incident command post at the location of an
emergency incident, an official training exercise, or for
maintenance or demonstration purposes.
12. An official fire department or emergency medical
services vehicle purchased, delivered, or refurbished on or
after July 1, 2021, shall be equipped with a master warning
switch to activate all emergency lights on the vehicle, in
addition to one or more switches to separately activate or
isolate the front, side, and rear warning lights.
Sec. 7. Section 321.433, Code 2021, is amended to read as
follows:
321.433 Sirens, whistles, and bells prohibited.
1. A vehicle shall not be equipped with and a person shall
not use upon a vehicle any siren, whistle, or bell, except as
otherwise permitted in this section . It is permissible but
not required that any commercial vehicle be equipped with a
theft alarm signal device which is so arranged that it cannot
be used by the driver as an ordinary warning signal. Any
authorized emergency vehicle may be equipped with a siren,
whistle, or bell capable of emitting sound audible under normal
conditions from a distance of not less than five hundred feet,
but the siren, whistle, or bell shall not be used except when
the vehicle is operated in response to an emergency call ,
an incident dangerous to the public, an official training
exercise, for maintenance or demonstration purposes, or in
the immediate pursuit of an actual or suspected violator of
the law, and the driver of the vehicle shall sound the siren,
whistle, or bell when necessary to warn pedestrians and other
drivers of the approach of the vehicle.
2. A towing or recovery vehicle, unless owned by the state
or a municipality, as defined in section 670.1, shall not be
equipped with a siren.
Sec. 8. Section 805.8A, subsection 3, Code 2021, is amended
by adding the following new paragraph:
NEW PARAGRAPH . 0ac. Section 321.424 . . . $ 45.

House File 654, p. 6
Sec. 9. EFFECTIVE DATE. This Act, being deemed of immediate
importance, takes effect upon enactment.
______________________________ ______________________________
PAT GRASSLEY JAKE CHAPMAN
Speaker of the House President of the Senate
I hereby certify that this bill originated in the House and
is known as House File 654, Eighty-ninth General Assembly.
______________________________
MEGHAN NELSON
Chief Clerk of the House
Approved _______________, 2021 ______________________________
KIM REYNOLDS
Governor