AB978: Bill Text

This bill allows police vehicles to be equipped with a white light between the red and blue lights. The bill also defines police vehicles to include any authorized emergency vehicle operated by a law enforcement officer, including conservation warden vehicles and designated emergency vehicles of state departments.

Under current law, a vehicle used by a fire department as a command post at the site of an emergency call may be equipped with a blue or green flashing or rotating light. No vehicle may be equipped with or display a blue light unless the vehicle is used in police work authorized by the state or a political subdivision or is used by a fire department as a command post at the site of an emergency call.

Under this bill, a vehicle used as a command post may be equipped only with a green flashing or rotating light, but such a vehicle may be used by the state or a political subdivision, not just by a fire department. Under the bill, only police vehicles, as defined in the bill, may be equipped with or display blue lights.

For further information see the state and local fiscal estimate, which will be printed as an appendix to this bill.

The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as follows:

AB978, s. 1 Section 1. 343.055 (1) (b) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB978,2,10 343.055 (1) (b) Fire fighters. The operator of the commercial motor vehicle including, without limitation, fire trucks, hook and ladder trucks and foam or water transporters, is a person employed by a volunteer or paid fire organization and the person is operating emergency or fire fighting equipment necessary to the preservation of life or property or the execution of emergency management functions and equipped with a siren and warning lamps as provided in ss. 347.25 (1) (1g) and 347.38 (4) and the operation is in the routine performance of other duties of the fire organization or in response to an emergency call under s. 346.03 or during the return from a fire or other emergency response.

AB978, s. 2 Section 2. 346.03 (1) of the statutes is renumbered 346.03 (1g).

AB978, s. 3 Section 3. 346.03 (1c) of the statutes is created to read:

AB978,2,13 346.03 (1c) In this section:

AB978,2,14 (a) "Law enforcement officer" has the meaning given in s. 164.01.

AB978,2,15 (b) "Police vehicle" has the meaning given in s. 347.25 (1c) (b).

AB978, s. 4 Section 4. 346.03 (3) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB978,3,10 346.03 (3) The exemption granted the operator of an authorized emergency vehicle by sub. (2) (a) applies only when the operator of the vehicle is giving visual signal by means of at least one flashing, oscillating or rotating red light except that the visual signal given by a police vehicle may be by means of a blue light and a red light, or a blue light and a white light and a red light, which are flashing, oscillating or rotating, except as otherwise provided in sub. (4m). The exemptions granted by sub. (2) (b), (c) and (d) apply only when the operator of the emergency vehicle is giving both such visual signal and also an audible signal by means of a siren or exhaust whistle, except as otherwise provided in sub. (4) or (4m).

AB978, s. 5 Section 5. 346.94 (14) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB978,3,18 346.94 (14) Use of flashing blue lights along highways. Except as provided in ss. 346.03 (3) and 347.25 (1m) and (1s), no person may maintain or operate any device equipped with a flashing, oscillating or rotating blue light within 100 feet of a highway if the light is visible from the highway and if the department or the local authority responsible for maintaining the highway determines that motorists would believe the light was the warning light of a police vehicle. This subsection does not apply to airport lights.

AB978, s. 6 Section 6. 347.25 (1) of the statutes is renumbered 347.25 (1g).

AB978, s. 7 Section 7. 347.25 (1c) of the statutes is created to read:

AB978,3,21 347.25 (1c) In this section:

AB978,3,22 (a) "Law enforcement officer" has the meaning given in s. 164.01.

AB978,3,24 (b) "Police vehicle" means any authorized emergency vehicle being operated by a law enforcement officer.

AB978,3,25 (c) "Political subdivision" has the meaning given in s. 349.025 (1) (b).

AB978, s. 8 Section 8. 347.25 (1m) (a) and (b) of the statutes are amended to read:

AB978,4,4 347.25 (1m) (a) A police vehicle under s. 340.01 (3) (a) may be equipped with a blue light and a red light, or with a blue light and a white light and a red light, which are flashing, oscillating or rotating.

AB978,4,20 (b) If the vehicle is so equipped, the lights shall be illuminated as required under s. 346.03 when the operator of the police vehicle is exercising the privileges granted under that section. On a marked police vehicle, the blue light shall be mounted on the passenger side of the vehicle and, the red light shall be mounted on the driver side of the vehicle, and, if the vehicle is equipped with a white light, the white light shall be mounted between the blue light and the red light. When in use on an unmarked police vehicle, the blue light shall be displayed on the passenger side of the vehicle and, the red light shall be displayed on the driver side of the vehicle, and, if the vehicle is equipped with a white light, the white light shall be displayed between the blue light and the red light. The lights shall be designed and displayed so as to be plainly visible and understandable from a distance of 500 feet during normal sunlight and during hours of darkness. No operator of a police vehicle may use the warning lights except when responding to an emergency call or when in pursuit of an actual or suspected violator of the law, when responding to but not upon returning from a fire alarm, or when necessarily parked on a highway in a position which is likely to be hazardous to traffic using the highway.

AB978, s. 9 Section 9. 347.25 (1r) (a) 1. of the statutes is amended to read:

AB978,4,25 347.25 (1r) (a) 1. A police vehicle under s. 340.01 (3) (a) may be equipped so that the high beams of its headlamps pulsate or flash alternately at a rate of 70 to 90 pulses or flashes per minute. The pulsating or flashing headlamps may be used only when the warning lamps authorized under sub. (1) (1g) or (1m) are in use.

AB978, s. 10 Section 10. 347.25 (1r) (b) 1. a. of the statutes is amended to read:

AB978,5,6 347.25 (1r) (b) 1. a. A vehicle of a fire department under s. 340.01 (3) (c) or an ambulance under s. 340.01 (3) (g) may be equipped so that the high beams of its headlamps pulsate or flash alternately at a rate of 70 to 90 pulses or flashes per minute. The pulsating or flashing headlamps may be used only when the warning lamps authorized under sub. (1) (1g) are in use.

AB978, s. 11 Section 11. 347.25 (1r) (b) 2. a. of the statutes is amended to read:

AB978,5,12 347.25 (1r) (b) 2. a. A sheriff or others designated by the county board may authorize that an ambulance under s. 340.01 (3) (i) be equipped so that the high beams of its headlamps pulsate or flash alternately at a rate of 70 to 90 pulses or flashes per minute. The pulsating or flashing headlamps may be used only when the warning lamps authorized under sub. (1) (1g) are in use.

AB978, s. 12 Section 12. 347.25 (1r) (c) 1. a. of the statutes is amended to read:

AB978,5,18 347.25 (1r) (c) 1. a. The state fire marshal may authorize that a privately owned motor vehicle under s. 340.01 (3) (d) that is being used by a deputy state fire marshal be equipped so that the high beams of its headlamps pulsate or flash alternately at a rate of 70 to 90 pulses or flashes per minute. The pulsating or flashing headlamps may be used only when the warning lamps authorized under sub. (1) (1g) are in use.

AB978, s. 13 Section 13. 347.25 (1r) (c) 2. a. of the statutes is amended to read:

AB978,5,25 347.25 (1r) (c) 2. a. A fire chief may authorize that a privately owned motor vehicle under s. 340.01 (3) (d) that is being used by an employee of the fire department or, if applicable, a member of the volunteer fire department be equipped so that the high beams of its headlamps pulsate or flash alternately at a rate of 70 to 90 pulses or flashes per minute. The pulsating or flashing headlamps may be used only when the warning lamps authorized under sub. (1) (1g) are in use.

AB978, s. 14 Section 14. 347.25 (1s) and (4) of the statutes are amended to read:

AB978,6,4 347.25 (1s) A vehicle in use by a fire department the state or a political subdivision as a command post at the site of an emergency call may be equipped with a blue or green light which is flashing, oscillating or rotating.

AB978,6,8 (4) No vehicle other than a police vehicle may be equipped with or display any blue colored light or lamp unless the vehicle is used in police work authorized by the state or a political subdivision of the state or is used by a fire department as authorized under sub. (1s).

AB978,6,9 (End)