LRB-0182/1
EVM:eev:rs
2013 - 2014 LEGISLATURE
July 31, 2013 - Introduced by Senators Petrowski, Erpenbach, Hansen, Lassa,
Lehman, Olsen, Schultz and L. Taylor, cosponsored by Representatives Ripp,
Bernard Schaber, Born, Brooks, Hulsey, Kahl, Krug, Marklein, Ohnstad,
A. Ott, Spiros, Tittl, Weatherston, Wright and Berceau. Referred to
Committee on Transportation, Public Safety, and Veterans and Military
Affairs.
SB241,1,2 1An Act to amend 347.25 (1); and to create 347.25 (1n) of the statutes; relating
2to:
warning lights on police vehicles.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
Current law generally prohibits any vehicle from being equipped with a
flashing or rotating light. Authorized emergency vehicles, such as police vehicles,
fire department vehicles, ambulances, conservation warden vehicles, designated
emergency vehicles of municipal or county departments, and designated emergency
vehicles of state departments are exempted from this prohibition. Most emergency
vehicles may be equipped with red lights or red and white lights, but police vehicles
may be equipped with red and blue lights. Under this bill, a police vehicle may, in
addition to other authorized lights, be equipped with one or more flashing white
lights.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do
enact as follows:
SB241,1 3Section 1. 347.25 (1) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB241,2,164 347.25 (1) Except as provided in subs. (1m) (a), (1n), (1r), and (1s), an
5authorized emergency vehicle may be equipped with one or more flashing,
6oscillating, or rotating red lights, except that ambulances, fire department

1equipment, privately owned motor vehicles under s. 340.01 (3) (d), (dg), or (dm) being
2used by personnel of a full-time or part-time fire department, by members of a
3volunteer fire department or rescue squad, or by an organ procurement organization
4or any person under an agreement with an organ procurement organization, and
5privately owned motor vehicles under s. 340.01 (3) (dh) being used to transport or
6pick up medical devices or equipment, may be equipped with red or red and white
7lights, and shall be so equipped when the operator thereof is exercising the privileges
8granted by s. 346.03. The lights shall be so designed and mounted as to be plainly
9visible and understandable from a distance of 500 feet both during normal sunlight
10and during hours of darkness. No operator of an authorized emergency vehicle may
11use the warning lights except when responding to an emergency call or when in
12pursuit of an actual or suspected violator of the law, when responding to but not upon
13returning from a fire alarm, when transporting an organ for human transplantation,
14when transporting medical personnel for the purpose of performing human organ
15harvesting or transplantation immediately after the transportation, or when
16necessarily parked in a position which is likely to be hazardous to traffic.
SB241,2 17Section 2. 347.25 (1n) of the statutes is created to read:
SB241,2,2218 347.25 (1n) A police vehicle under s. 340.01 (3) (a) may be equipped with one
19or more flashing white lights. The lights shall be designed and displayed so as to be
20plainly visible and understandable from a distance of 500 feet both during normal
21sunlight and during hours of darkness. The lights may be used only when the
22warning lamps authorized under sub. (1) or (1m) are in use.
SB241,2,2323 (End)
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