Connecticut 2019 Regular Session

Connecticut House Bill HB05658 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
1	1
2	2
3		-	LCO 5803 \\PRDFS1\HCOUSERS\BARRYJN\WS\2019HB-05658-R02-
4		-	HB.docx
5		-	1 of 5
	3	+
	4	+	LCO No. 5803 1 of 5
6	5
7	6		General Assembly Committee Bill No. 5658
8	7		January Session, 2019
9	8		LCO No. 5803
10	9
11	10
12	11		Referred to Committee on PUBLIC SAFETY AND SECURITY
13	12
14	13
15	14		Introduced by:
16	15		(PS)
17	16
18	17
19	18
20	19		AN ACT CONCERNING TH E USE OF RED AND BLUE LIGHTS ON
21	20		VEHICLES OPERATED BY POLICE OFFICERS.
22	21		Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
23	22		Assembly convened:
24	23
25	24		Section 1. Section 14-96q of the general statutes is repealed and the 1
26	25		following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2019): 2
27	26		(a) A permit is required for the use of colored or flashing lights on 3
28	27		all motor vehicles or equipment specified in this section except: (1) 4
29	28		Motor vehicles not registered in this state used for transporting or 5
30	29		escorting any vehicle or load, or combinations thereof, which is either 6
31	30		oversize or overweight, or both, when operating under a permit issued 7
32	31		by the Commissioner of Transportation pursuant to section 14-270; or 8
33	32		(2) motor vehicles or equipment that are (A) equipped with lights in 9
34	33		accordance with this section, (B) owned or leased by the federal 10
35	34		government, the state of Connecticut, or any other state, 11
36	35		commonwealth or local municipality, and (C) registered to such 12
37	36		governmental entity. When used in this section the term "flashing" 13
38	37		shall be considered to include the term "revolving". 14
39		-	(b) The Commissioner of Motor Vehicles, or such other person 15 Committee Bill No. 5658
	38	+	(b) The Commissioner of Motor Vehicles, or such other person 15
	39	+	Committee Bill No. 5658
40	40
41	41
42		-	LCO 5803 {\\PRDFS1\HCOUSERS\BARRYJN\WS\2019HB-05658-
43		-	R02-HB.docx }
44		-	2 of 5
	42	+	LCO No. 5803 2 of 5
45	43
46	44		specifically identified in this section, is authorized to issue permits for 16
47	45		the use of colored or flashing lights on vehicles in accordance with this 17
48	46		section, at the commissioner's or such person's discretion. Any person, 18
49	47		firm or corporation other than the state or any metropolitan district, 19
50	48		town, city or borough shall pay an annual permit fee of twenty dollars 20
51	49		to the commissioner for each such vehicle. Such fee shall apply only to 21
52	50		permits issued by the commissioner. 22
53	51		(c) A blue light or lights, including flashing blue lights, but not 23
54	52		including a steady blue illuminated light visible from the front of a 24
55	53		vehicle, may be used on a motor vehicle operated by an active member 25
56	54		of a volunteer fire department or company or an active member of an 26
57	55		organized civil preparedness auxiliary fire company who has been 27
58	56		issued a permit by the chief executive officer of such department or 28
59	57		company to use such a light while on the way to or at the scene of a 29
60	58		fire or other emergency requiring such member's services. Such permit 30
61	59		shall be on a form provided by the commissioner and may be revoked 31
62	60		by such chief executive officer or successor. The chief executive officer 32
63	61		of each volunteer fire department or company or organized civil 33
64	62		preparedness auxiliary fire company shall keep on file, on forms 34
65	63		provided by the commissioner, the names and addresses of members 35
66	64		who have been authorized to use flashing blue lights as provided in 36
67	65		this subsection. Such listing shall also designate the registration 37
68	66		number of the motor vehicle on which authorized flashing blue lights 38
69	67		are to be used. 39
70	68		(d) A green light or lights, including flashing green lights, may be 40
71	69		used on a motor vehicle operated by an active member of a volunteer 41
72	70		ambulance association or company who has been issued a permit by 42
73	71		the chief executive officer of such association or company to use such a 43
74	72		light, while on the way to or at the scene of an emergency requiring 44
75	73		such member's services. Such permit shall be on a form provided by 45
76	74		the commissioner and may be revoked by such chief executive officer 46
77	75		or successor. The chief executive officer of each volunteer ambulance 47
78		-	association or company shall keep on file, on forms provided by the 48 Committee Bill No. 5658
	76	+	association or company shall keep on file, on forms provided by the 48
	77	+	Committee Bill No. 5658
79	78
80	79
81		-	LCO 5803 {\\PRDFS1\HCOUSERS\BARRYJN\WS\2019HB-05658-
82		-	R02-HB.docx }
83		-	3 of 5
	80	+	LCO No. 5803 3 of 5
84	81
85	82		commissioner, the names and addresses of members who have been 49
86	83		authorized to use flashing green lights as provided in this subsection. 50
87	84		Such listing shall also designate the registration number of the vehicle 51
88	85		on which the authorized flashing green lights are to be used. 52
89	86		(e) The commissioner may issue a permit for a red light or lights, 53
90	87		including flashing red lights, but not including a steady red 54
91	88		illuminated light visible from the front of a vehicle, which may be used 55
92	89		on a motor vehicle or equipment (1) used by paid fire chiefs and their 56
93	90		deputies and assistants, up to a total of five individuals per 57
94	91		department, (2) used by volunteer fire chiefs and their deputies and 58
95	92		assistants, up to a total of five individuals per department, (3) used by 59
96	93		members of the fire police on a stationary vehicle as a warning signal 60
97	94		during traffic directing operations at the scene of a fire or emergency, 61
98	95		(4) used by chief executive officers of emergency medical service 62
99	96		organizations, as defined in section 19a-175, the first or second 63
100	97		deputies, or if there are no deputies, the first or second assistants, of 64
101	98		such an organization that is a municipal or volunteer or licensed 65
102	99		organization, (5) used by local fire marshals, or (6) used by directors of 66
103	100		emergency management. 67
104	101		(f) The commissioner may issue a permit for a yellow or amber light 68
105	102		or lights, including flashing yellow or amber lights, which may be 69
106	103		used on motor vehicles or equipment that are (1) specified in 70
107	104		subsection (e) of this section, (2) maintenance vehicles as defined in 71
108	105		section 14-1, or (3) vehicles transporting or escorting any vehicle or 72
109	106		load or combinations thereof, which is or are either oversize or 73
110	107		overweight, or both, and being operated or traveling under a permit 74
111	108		issued by the Commissioner of Transportation pursuant to section 14-75
112	109		270. A yellow or amber light or lights, including flashing yellow or 76
113	110		amber lights, may be used without obtaining a permit from the 77
114	111		Commissioner of Motor Vehicles on wreckers registered pursuant to 78
115	112		section 14-66, on vehicles of carriers in rural mail delivery service or on 79
116	113		vehicles operated by construction inspectors employed by the state of 80
117		-	Connecticut, authorized by the Commissioner of Transportation, used 81 Committee Bill No. 5658
	114	+	Connecticut, authorized by the Commissioner of Transportation, used 81
	115	+	Committee Bill No. 5658
118	116
119	117
120		-	LCO 5803 {\\PRDFS1\HCOUSERS\BARRYJN\WS\2019HB-05658-
121		-	R02-HB.docx }
122		-	4 of 5
	118	+	LCO No. 5803 4 of 5
123	119
124	120		during the performance of inspections on behalf of the state. The 82
125	121		Commissioner of Transportation shall maintain a list of such 83
126	122		authorized construction inspectors, including the name and address of 84
127	123		each inspector and the registration number for each vehicle on which 85
128	124		the lights are to be used. 86
129	125		(g) The Commissioner of Motor Vehicles may issue a permit for a 87
130	126		white light or lights, including flashing white lights, which may be 88
131	127		used on a motor vehicle or equipment as specified in subdivision (1), 89
132	128		(2), (4), (5) or (6) of subsection (e) of this section. A vehicle being 90
133	129		operated by a member of a volunteer fire department or company or a 91
134	130		volunteer emergency medical technician may use flashing white head 92
135	131		lamps, provided such member or emergency medical technician is on 93
136	132		the way to the scene of a fire or medical emergency and has received 94
137	133		written authorization from the chief law enforcement officer of the 95
138	134		municipality to use such head lamps. Such head lamps shall only be 96
139	135		used within the municipality granting such authorization or from a 97
140	136		personal residence or place of employment, if located in an adjoining 98
141	137		municipality. Such authorization may be revoked for use of such head 99
142	138		lamps in violation of this subdivision. For the purposes of this 100
143	139		subsection, the term "flashing white lights" shall not include the 101
144	140		simultaneous flashing of head lamps. 102
145	141		(h) The commissioner may issue a permit for emergency vehicles, as 103
146	142		defined in subsection (a) of section 14-283, to use a blue, red, yellow, or 104
147	143		white light or lights, including flashing lights or any combination 105
148	144		thereof, except that the commissioner may only issue a permit for a 106
149	145		steady blue or red illuminated light visible from the front of a vehicle 107
150	146		for a state or local police vehicle operated by a police officer. 108
151	147		(i) The commissioner may issue a permit for ambulances, as defined 109
152	148		in section 19a-175, which may, in addition to the flashing lights 110
153	149		allowed in subsection (h) of this section, use flashing lights of other 111
154	150		colors specified by federal requirements for the manufacture of an 112
155	151		ambulance. If the commissioner issues a permit for any ambulance, 113
156		-	~~such permit shall be issued at the time of registration and upon each 114~~ Committee Bill No. 5658
	152	+	Committee Bill No. 5658
157	153
158	154
159		-	LCO 5803 {\\PRDFS1\HCOUSERS\BARRYJN\WS\2019HB-05658-
160		-	R02-HB.docx }
161		-	5 of 5
	155	+	LCO No. 5803 5 of 5
162	156
	157	+	such permit shall be issued at the time of registration and upon each 114
163	158		renewal of such registration. 115
164	159		(j) Use of colored and flashing lights except as authorized by this 116
165	160		section shall be an infraction. 117
166	161		This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
167	162		sections:
168	163
169	164		Section 1 October 1, 2019 14-96q
170	165
171		-	PS Joint Favorable
	166	+	Statement of Purpose:
	167	+	To limit the use of red and blue steady illuminated lights visible from
	168	+	the front of a vehicle to vehicles operated by police officers.
	169	+	[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline,
	170	+	except that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is
	171	+	not underlined.]
	172	+
	173	+	Co-Sponsors: REP. MCGORTY, 122nd Dist.; REP. CAMILLO, 151st Dist.
	174	+
	175	+	H.B. 5658
	176	+
172	177