Senate Study Bill 1019 - Introduced SENATE FILE _____ BY (PROPOSED COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION BILL BY CHAIRPERSON ZUMBACH) A BILL FOR An Act relating to motor vehicle window tint, and making 1 penalties applicable. 2 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 3 TLSB 1792XC (1) 91 th/ns
S.F. _____ Section 1. Section 321.438, subsection 2, Code 2025, is 1 amended to read as follows: 2 2. a. A person shall not operate on the highway a motor 3 vehicle equipped with a front windshield, a side window to the 4 immediate right or left of the driver, or a sidewing forward 5 of and to the left or right of the driver which is excessively 6 dark or reflective so that it is difficult for a person outside 7 the motor vehicle to see into the motor vehicle through the 8 windshield, window, or sidewing that meets a minimum standard 9 of transparency of less than thirty-five percent light 10 transmittance . 11 a. The department shall adopt rules establishing a minimum 12 measurable standard of transparency which shall apply to 13 violations of this subsection . 14 b. This subsection does not apply to a person who operates 15 a motor vehicle owned or leased by a federal, state, or local 16 law enforcement agency if the operation is part of the persons 17 official duties. 18 EXPLANATION 19 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 20 the explanations substance by the members of the general assembly. 21 Under current law, a person is prohibited from operating 22 a motor vehicle equipped with a front windshield, a side 23 window to the immediate right or left of the driver, or a 24 sidewing forward of and to the left or right of the driver 25 (window) which is excessively dark or reflective so that it is 26 difficult for a person outside the motor vehicle to see into 27 the motor vehicle through the window. Under rules adopted 28 by the department of transportation (DOT) (761 IAC 450.7), 29 excessively dark or reflective means the window does not 30 meet a minimum standard of transparency of 70 percent light 31 transmittance. However, the requirement does not apply to 32 a person who operates a motor vehicle owned or leased by 33 a federal, state, or local law enforcement agency if the 34 operation is part of the persons official duties. 35 -1- LSB 1792XC (1) 91 th/ns 1/ 2
S.F. _____ This bill strikes the authority of the DOT to adopt rules 1 establishing a minimum measurable standard of transparency 2 and instead prohibits a person from operating on the highway 3 a motor vehicle equipped with a window that meets a minimum 4 standard of transparency of less than 35 percent light 5 transmittance. 6 A violation of Code section 321.438 is punishable by a 7 scheduled fine of $70. 8 -2- LSB 1792XC (1) 91 th/ns 2/ 2