Senate File 378 - Introduced SENATE FILE 378 BY COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION (SUCCESSOR TO SF 73) A BILL FOR An Act relating to the default speed limit for all vehicular 1 traffic, and making penalties applicable. 2 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 3 TLSB 1416SV (1) 91 th/ns
S.F. 378 Section 1. Section 321.285, subsection 3, Code 2025, is 1 amended to read as follows: 2 3. Unless otherwise provided in this section or by other 3 speed restrictions, the speed limit for all vehicular traffic 4 shall be fifty-five sixty miles per hour. 5 Sec. 2. IMPLEMENTATION. Notwithstanding section 321.252, 6 321.255, 321.285, or any other provision of law to the 7 contrary, when updating speed limit signs as a result of the 8 enactment of this Act, the agency that exercises jurisdiction 9 over a highway for which the speed limit increased may attach 10 nonpermanent overlays or stickers approved by the department 11 of transportation to existing speed limit signs in order 12 to display the new speed limit. The nonpermanent overlays 13 or stickers may be used by the applicable agency until the 14 applicable speed limit sign is replaced based on the agencys 15 replacement schedule and any applicable specifications or 16 requirements. 17 EXPLANATION 18 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 19 the explanations substance by the members of the general assembly. 20 Under current law, the default speed limit for all vehicular 21 traffic is 55 miles per hour (MPH) unless otherwise provided. 22 A speed limit is provided for streets or highways on which 23 a cattle guard is installed (15 MPH), business districts (20 24 MPH), residential or school districts (25 MPH), state parks 25 and preserves (35 MPH), suburban districts (45 MPH), board of 26 regents institution roads (45 MPH), unpaved secondary roads 27 (55 MPH between sunrise and sunset and 50 MPH between sunset 28 and sunrise), fully controlled-access, divided, multilaned 29 highways (65 MPH), certain divided multilaned highways that are 30 not fully access-controlled, if selected by the department of 31 transportation (DOT) (65 MPH), and highways that are part of 32 the interstate road system (70 MPH). In addition, the agency 33 responsible for a highway is authorized to establish a lower 34 reasonable and proper speed limit on the highway under certain 35 -1- LSB 1416SV (1) 91 th/ns 1/ 2
S.F. 378 circumstances and is required to erect signage giving notice 1 of the limit. 2 This bill increases the default speed limit for all 3 vehicular traffic to 60 MPH. 4 The bill does not increase the speed limit range for which 5 the DOT is prohibited from considering the first two excessive 6 speed violations (10 MPH or less on a highway with a speed 7 limit between 34 MPH and 56 MPH) within a 12-month period 8 for purposes of suspending a drivers license (Code section 9 321.210) or while a person is operating a motor vehicle during 10 a license probationary period (Code section 321.210C). The 11 bill also does not increase the 55 MPH minimum speed limit a 12 local authority is authorized to provide for by ordinance (Code 13 section 321.293). 14 The bill authorizes the agency that exercises jurisdiction 15 over a highway for which the speed limit increased, when 16 updating speed limit signs as a result of the bill, to attach 17 nonpermanent overlays or stickers approved by the DOT to 18 existing speed limit signs in order to display the new speed 19 limit. The nonpermanent overlays or stickers may be used by 20 the applicable agency until the applicable speed limit sign is 21 replaced based on the agencys replacement schedule and any 22 applicable specifications or requirements. 23 Pursuant to current law, a person who operates a motor 24 vehicle in excess of the speed limit commits a simple 25 misdemeanor punishable by a scheduled fine that varies 26 depending on the excessive speed. The fine ranges from $30 for 27 a speed in excess of the limit by not more than 5 MPH to $135 28 plus $5 for each MPH of excessive speed over 20 MPH over the 29 limit, with increased fines for violations in road work zones. 30 -2- LSB 1416SV (1) 91 th/ns 2/ 2