House File 728 - Introduced HOUSE FILE 728 BY MEGGERS A BILL FOR An Act relating to police, fire department, and other emergency 1 vehicles. 2 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 3 TLSB 2829YH (2) 91 th/ns
H.F. 728 Section 1. Section 321.231, subsection 3, unnumbered 1 paragraph 1, Code 2025, is amended to read as follows: 2 The driver of an official a fire department vehicle, police 3 vehicle, rescue vehicle, ambulance, emergency medical services 4 vehicle, or emergency management vehicle, or a peace officer 5 riding a police bicycle in the line of duty, may do any of the 6 following: 7 Sec. 2. Section 321.231, subsection 5, paragraph a, Code 8 2025, is amended to read as follows: 9 a. The exemptions granted to the driver of an authorized 10 emergency vehicle under subsection 2 and to the driver of an 11 official a fire department vehicle, police vehicle, rescue 12 vehicle, ambulance, emergency medical services vehicle, or 13 emergency management vehicle as provided in subsection 3 shall 14 apply only when such vehicle is making use of an audible 15 warning device meeting the requirements of section 321.433 or a 16 visual signaling device authorized under this chapter . 17 Sec. 3. Section 321.424, subsections 2, 9, and 12, Code 18 2025, are amended to read as follows: 19 2. An official A law enforcement, fire department, 20 emergency medical services, or emergency management vehicle 21 owned by the state or a municipality, as defined in section 22 670.1 , may be equipped with flashing headlamps. 23 9. An official A law enforcement, fire department , rescue, 24 emergency medical services, or emergency management vehicle 25 may be equipped with lights or light bars containing one or 26 more rear zone amber lights or amber directional arrows, which 27 shall be in addition to any other required lighting equipment. 28 An authorized emergency vehicle shall not be equipped with an 29 amber light positioned on the front or side of the vehicle. 30 However, an aerial fire apparatus may be equipped with amber 31 flashing lights on the outriggers of the apparatus. 32 12. An official A fire department vehicle or emergency 33 medical services vehicle purchased, delivered, or refurbished 34 on or after July 1, 2021, shall be equipped with a master 35 -1- LSB 2829YH (2) 91 th/ns 1/ 2
H.F. 728 warning switch to activate all emergency lights on the vehicle, 1 in addition to one or more switches to separately activate or 2 isolate the front, side, and rear warning lights. 3 Sec. 4. Section 321.433, subsection 5, Code 2025, is amended 4 to read as follows: 5 5. An official A fire department vehicle, emergency medical 6 services program vehicle, or law enforcement vehicle owned by 7 the state, a municipality, as defined in section 670.1 , or a 8 corporation providing emergency medical services, that was 9 purchased, delivered, or refurbished on or after July 1, 2022, 10 excluding an all-terrain vehicle or a special service vehicle, 11 shall be equipped with an electric or electronic siren capable 12 of emitting at least two distinct siren tones, and one or more 13 compatible siren speakers. 14 EXPLANATION 15 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 16 the explanations substance by the members of the general assembly. 17 This bill amends provisions in Code chapter 321 (motor 18 vehicles and law of the road) by striking the word official 19 when it precedes lists of authorized emergency vehicles and 20 other similar vehicles. The bill does not amend the rights and 21 responsibilities of a person who operates such a vehicle. 22 -2- LSB 2829YH (2) 91 th/ns 2/ 2