Alabama 2025 Regular Session

Alabama House Bill HB506 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
1		-	~~HB506ENGROSSED~~
	1	+	HB506INTRODUCED
2	2		Page 0
3	3		HB506
4		-	~~G3BJI6C-2~~
	4	+	U987CGX-1
5	5		By Representative Lovvorn
6	6		RFD: Public Safety and Homeland Security
7	7		First Read: 01-Apr-25
8	8		1
9	9		2
10	10		3
11	11		4
12		-	5 ~~HB506 Engrossed~~
	12	+	5 U987CGX-1 03/31/2025 CMH (L)CMH 2025-1392
13	13		Page 1
14	14		First Read: 01-Apr-25
	15	+	SYNOPSIS:
	16	+	Under existing law, an off-road vehicle may not
	17	+	be operated upon the highways of this state.
	18	+	This bill would provide that if an off-road
	19	+	vehicle is publicly owned by a state, county, or
	20	+	municipal law enforcement agency, fire department,
	21	+	volunteer fire department, or rescue squad and meets
	22	+	certain requirements, the vehicle may be designated as
	23	+	an authorized emergency vehicle and may be operated on
	24	+	public streets and highways to perform emergency
	25	+	services.
15	26		A BILL
16	27		TO BE ENTITLED
17	28		AN ACT
18	29		Relating to authorized emergency vehicles; to provide
19	30		for the designation of an off-road vehicle as an authorized
20	31		emergency vehicle; to provide requirements for such
21	32		designation; to provide requirements for the use of such
22	33		vehicle; and to provide for a limitation of liability for such
23	34		designation and use of such vehicles.
24	35		BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF ALABAMA:
25	36		Section 1. (a) For purposes of Title 32, Code of
26		-	Alabama 1975, the chief administrator of any state, county, or
27		-	municipal law enforcement agency, fire department, volunteer
28		-	fire department, fire district, or rescue squad may designate
29		-	any publicly owned off-road vehicle, as defined under Section
30		-	32-8-2, Code of Alabama 1975, as an authorized emergency
31		-	vehicle, if the authorized emergency vehicle is within the
32		-	jurisdiction of the designating agency and the vehicle meets
33		-	all of the following requirements:
34		-	(1) The vehicle is equipped with headlights and brake
35		-	lights.
36		-	(2) The vehicle is equipped with shoulder harness
37		-	seatbelts for each passenger.
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65		-	28 HB506 ~~Engrossed~~
	64	+	28 HB506 INTRODUCED
66	65		Page 2
	66	+	Section 1. (a) For purposes of Title 32, Code of
	67	+	Alabama 1975, the chief administrator of any state, county, or
	68	+	municipal law enforcement agency, fire department, volunteer
	69	+	fire department, fire district, or rescue squad may designate
	70	+	any publicly owned off-road vehicle, as defined under Section
	71	+	32-8-2, Code of Alabama 1975, as an authorized emergency
	72	+	vehicle, if the authorized emergency vehicle is within the
	73	+	jurisdiction of the designating agency and the vehicle meets
	74	+	all of the following requirements:
	75	+	(1) The vehicle is equipped with headlights and brake
	76	+	lights.
	77	+	(2) The vehicle is equipped with shoulder harness
67	78		seatbelts for each passenger.
68	79		(3) The vehicle is marked with the state, county, or
69	80		municipal agency name.
70	81		(4) The vehicle is equipped with emergency lighting as
71	82		provided in Section 32-5A-115(c), Code of Alabama 1975.
72	83		(5) The back of the vehicle is marked with reflective,
73		-	highly ~~visible~~ chevrons designed to reflect headlights and
	84	+	highly visibile chevrons designed to reflect headlights and
74	85		alert other drivers to its presence.
75	86		(b) An off-road vehicle that is designated as an
76	87		authorized emergency vehicle pursuant to this section may be
77	88		operated within the applicable jurisdiction on the streets and
78	89		highways of the state for official purposes only, including
79	90		emergency call responses and training operations. Such
80	91		vehicles may only be operated by authorized personnel of the
81	92		applicable state or local agency who have the requisite
82	93		training requirements as determined by the head of the agency.
83	94		(c) An off-road vehicle that is designated as an
84		-	authorized emergency vehicle shall be covered under the
85		-	applicable agency's insurance policy.
86		-	(d) An off-road vehicle that is designated as an
87		-	authorized emergency vehicle is exempt from all other
88		-	licensing, equipment, and other requirements provided by law
89		-	for the operation of vehicles upon the streets and highways of
90		-	this state.
91		-	Section 2. This act shall become effective on June 1,
92		-	2025.
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117		-	53 HB506 Engrossed
118		-	Page 3
119		-	2025.
120		-	House of Representatives
121		-	Read for the first time and referred
122		-	to the House of Representatives
123		-	committee on Public Safety and
124		-	Homeland Security
125		-	................01-Apr-25
126		-	Read for the second time and placed
127		-	on the calendar:
128		-	1 amendment
129		-	................09-Apr-25
130		-	Read for the third time and passed
131		-	as amended
132		-	Yeas 101
133		-	Nays 0
134		-	Abstains 0
135		-	................15-Apr-25
136		-	John Treadwell
137		-	Clerk
	119	+	53
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	122	+	56 HB506 INTRODUCED
	123	+	Page 3
	124	+	(c) An off-road vehicle that is designated as an
	125	+	authorized emergency vehicle shall be covered under the
	126	+	applicable agency's insurance policy.
	127	+	(d) An off-road vehicle that is designated as an
	128	+	authorized emergency vehicle is exempt from all other
	129	+	licensing, equipment, and other requirements provided by law
	130	+	for the operation of vehicles upon the streets and highways of
	131	+	this state.
	132	+	(e) Any individual who, acting in his or her official
	133	+	capacity under this section, designates an off-road vehicle as
	134	+	an authorized emergency vehicle is immune from civil liability
	135	+	in any suit pursuant to Section 14 of the Constitution of
	136	+	Alabama of 2022.
	137	+	(f) The state and any political subdivision therein
	138	+	shall be immune from civil liability in any suit pursuant to
	139	+	Section 14 of the Constitution of Alabama of 2022, for any
	140	+	liability arising from the operation of an off-road vehicle
	141	+	designated as an authorized emergency vehicle under this
	142	+	section.
	143	+	Section 2. This act shall become effective on June 1,
	144	+	2025.
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