Bill Text: IA SF424 | 2015-2016 | 86th General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: A bill for an act relating to lighted lamps on bicycles and bicycle riders, and including effective date provisions. (Formerly SF 241.)

Spectrum: Committee Bill

Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2015-04-09 - Referred to Transportation. H.J. 814. [SF424 Detail]

Download: Iowa-2015-SF424-Introduced.html

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Senate File 424 - Introduced




                                 SENATE FILE       
                                 BY  COMMITTEE ON
                                     TRANSPORTATION

                                 (SUCCESSOR TO SF 241)

                                      A BILL FOR

  1 An Act relating to lighted lamps on bicycles and bicycle
  2    riders, and including effective date provisions.
  3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
    TLSB 2326SV (3) 86
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PAG LIN



  1  1    Section 1.  Section 321.385A, Code 2015, is amended to read
  1  2 as follows:
  1  3    321.385A  Citation for unlighted headlamp, rear lamp, bicycle
  1  4 or rider lamp, or rear registration plate light.
  1  5    1.  a.  A citation issued for failure to have headlamps
  1  6 as required under section 321.385 shall first provide for a
  1  7 seventy=two hour period within which the person charged with
  1  8 the violation shall replace or repair the headlamp.
  1  9    b.  A citation issued for failure to have rear lamps as
  1 10 required under section 321.387 or a rear registration plate
  1 11 light as required under section 321.388 shall first provide for
  1 12 a seventy=two hour period within which the person charged with
  1 13 the violation shall replace or repair the lamps or light.
  1 14    c.  A citation issued for failure to have a front lamp or
  1 15 rear lamp on a bicycle or on a bicycle rider as required under
  1 16 section 321.397 shall first provide for a seventy=two hour
  1 17 period within which the person charged with the violation shall
  1 18 replace or repair the lamp or lamps.
  1 19    2.  If the person complies with the directive to replace
  1 20 or repair the headlamp, rear lamps, bicycle or rider lamp,
  1 21  or rear registration plate light within the allotted time
  1 22 period, the citation shall be expunged. If the person fails to
  1 23 comply within the allotted time period, the citation shall be
  1 24 processed in the same manner as other citations.
  1 25    3.  A citation issued under this section shall include a
  1 26 written notice of replacement or repair which shall indicate
  1 27 the date of replacement or repair and the manner in which the
  1 28 replacement or repair occurred and which shall be returned to
  1 29 the issuing authority within the seventy=two hour time period.
  1 30    Sec. 2.  Section 321.397, Code 2015, is amended to read as
  1 31 follows:
  1 32    321.397  Lamps on bicycles and bicycle riders.
  1 33    Every At the times specified in section 321.384, a bicycle or
  1 34 its rider shall be equipped with a lamp on the front exhibiting
  1 35 a white light, at the times specified in section 321.384,
  2  1  visible from a distance of at least three hundred feet to
  2  2 the front and with a lamp on the rear exhibiting a red light
  2  3 visible from a distance of three hundred feet to the rear;
  2  4 except that a red reflector may be used in lieu of a rear light.
  2  5 A peace officer riding a police bicycle is not required to use
  2  6 either front or rear lamps if duty so requires.
  2  7    Sec. 3.  EFFECTIVE DATE.  This Act takes effect January 1,
  2  8 2016.
  2  9                           EXPLANATION
  2 10 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
  2 11 the explanation's substance by the members of the general assembly.
  2 12    Current law provides that a bicycle shall have a front
  2 13 lighted lamp and either a rear lighted lamp or a rear reflector
  2 14 at any time from sunset to sunrise, and at such other times
  2 15 when conditions such as fog, snow, sleet, or rain provide
  2 16 insufficient lighting to render clearly discernible persons and
  2 17 vehicles on the highway at a distance of 500 feet ahead.
  2 18    This bill provides that a bicycle or its rider shall have
  2 19 a front and rear lighted lamp during the stated periods of
  2 20 time, and may not have a rear reflector in lieu of the rear
  2 21 lighted lamp. The scheduled fine for violating this provision
  2 22 is $25. However, the bill provides that a citation issued for
  2 23 failure to have a front lamp or rear lamp on a bicycle or on a
  2 24 bicycle rider shall first provide for a 72=hour period within
  2 25 which the person charged with the violation shall replace or
  2 26 repair the lamp. If the person complies with the directive to
  2 27 replace or repair the bicycle or rider lamp, the citation shall
  2 28 be expunged.
  2 29    The bill takes effect January 1, 2016.
       LSB 2326SV (3) 86
       ns/nh