Wisconsin 2025-2026 Regular Session

Wisconsin Senate Bill SB159 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	2025 - 2026 LEGISLATURE
2	2	LRB-0993/1
3	3	ZDW:cdc
4	4	2025 SENATE BILL 159
5	5	March 27, 2025 - Introduced by Senators WANGGAARD, FEYEN and NASS,
6	6	cosponsored by Representatives B. JACOBSON, BEHNKE, CALLAHAN, DITTRICH,
7	7	GOEBEN, KNODL, MURSAU, O'CONNOR, PENTERMAN, PIWOWARCZYK and
8	8	PRONSCHINSKE. Referred to Committee on Transportation and Local
9	9	Government.
10	10
11	11	*AUTHORS SUBJECT TO CHANGE*
12	12	AN ACT to amend 347.25 (1m) (b) of the statutes; relating to: requirements for
13	13	lighting on police vehicles.
14	14	Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
15	15	Current law provides that a police vehicle may be equipped with flashing,
16	16	oscillating, or rotating blue and red lights. On a marked police vehicle, the blue
17	17	light must be mounted on the passenger side of the vehicle and the red light must be
18	18	mounted on the driver side of the vehicle.
19	19	This bill provides that, on a marked police vehicle with an exterior light bar,
20	20	the blue light must be mounted on the roof of the passenger side of the vehicle and
21	21	the red light must be mounted on the roof of the driver side of the vehicle. For lights
22	22	mounted inside the vehicle, blue lights must be displayed on the interior of the
23	23	passenger side of the vehicle and red lights must be displayed on the interior of the
24	24	driver side of the vehicle. The bill also authorizes the use of a combination of blue
25	25	and red lights mounted on the front, sides, or rear of a police vehicle if the vehicle is
26	26	already equipped with roof or interior lights as required by the bill.
27	27	The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do
28	28	enact as follows:
29	29	SECTION 1. 347.25 (1m) (b) of the statutes is amended to read:
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32	32	3 2025 - 2026 Legislature
33	33	SENATE BILL 159
34	34	- 2 - LRB-0993/1
35	35	ZDW:cdc
36	36	SECTION 1
37	37	347.25 (1m) (b) If the vehicle is so equipped, the lights shall be illuminated as
38	38	required under s. 346.03 or 346.215 (2) (a) when the operator of the police vehicle is
39	39	exercising the privileges granted under s. 346.03 or 346.215 (2) (a). On a marked
40	40	police vehicle with an exterior light bar, the blue light shall be mounted on the roof
41	41	of the passenger side of the vehicle and the red light shall be mounted on the roof of
42	42	the driver side of the vehicle. If lights are mounted inside the vehicle, blue lights
43	43	shall be displayed on the interior of the passenger side of the vehicle and red lights
44	44	shall be displayed on the interior of the driver side of the vehicle. On marked police
45	45	vehicles with blue lights displayed on the passenger side roof or interior and red
46	46	lights displayed on the driver side roof or interior, a combination of additional blue
47	47	and red lights may be mounted on the front, sides, or rear of a police vehicle in any
48	48	configuration. When in use on an unmarked police vehicle, the blue light shall be
49	49	displayed on the passenger side of the vehicle and the red light shall be displayed on
50	50	the driver side of the vehicle. The lights shall be designed and displayed so as to be
51	51	plainly visible and understandable from a distance of 500 feet during normal
52	52	sunlight and during hours of darkness. No operator of a police vehicle may use the
53	53	warning lights except when responding to an emergency call or when in pursuit of
54	54	an actual or suspected violator of the law, when responding to but not upon
55	55	returning from a fire alarm, when necessarily parked on a highway in a position
56	56	which is likely to be hazardous to traffic using the highway, or as authorized under
57	57	s. 346.215 (2) (a).
58	58	(END)
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