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92_HB2056eng
HB2056 Engrossed LRB9206444ARsb
1 AN ACT concerning vehicles.
2 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3 represented in the General Assembly:
4 Section 5. The Illinois Vehicle Code is amended by
5 changing Sections 12-215, 12-805, and 12-815 and adding
6 Sections 12-802.1 and 12-816 as follows:
7 (625 ILCS 5/12-215) (from Ch. 95 1/2, par. 12-215)
8 Sec. 12-215. Oscillating, rotating or flashing lights on
9 motor vehicles. Except as otherwise provided in this Code:
10 (a) The use of red or white oscillating, rotating or
11 flashing lights, whether lighted or unlighted, is prohibited
12 except on:
13 1. Law enforcement vehicles of State, Federal or
14 local authorities;
15 2. A vehicle operated by a police officer or county
16 coroner and designated or authorized by local
17 authorities, in writing, as a law enforcement vehicle;
18 however, such designation or authorization must be
19 carried in the vehicle;
20 3. Vehicles of local fire departments and State or
21 federal firefighting vehicles;
22 4. Vehicles which are designed and used exclusively
23 as ambulances or rescue vehicles; furthermore, such
24 lights shall not be lighted except when responding to an
25 emergency call for and while actually conveying the sick
26 or injured; and
27 5. Tow trucks licensed in a state that requires
28 such lights; furthermore, such lights shall not be
29 lighted on any such tow truck while the tow truck is
30 operating in the State of Illinois; and.
31 6. School buses operating alternately flashing head
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1 lamps as permitted under Section 12-805 of this Code.
2 (b) The use of amber oscillating, rotating or flashing
3 lights, whether lighted or unlighted, is prohibited except
4 on:
5 1. Second division vehicles designed and used for
6 towing or hoisting vehicles; furthermore, such lights
7 shall not be lighted except as required in this paragraph
8 1; such lights shall be lighted when such vehicles are
9 actually being used at the scene of an accident or
10 disablement; if the towing vehicle is equipped with a
11 flat bed that supports all wheels of the vehicle being
12 transported, the lights shall not be lighted while the
13 vehicle is engaged in towing on a highway; if the towing
14 vehicle is not equipped with a flat bed that supports all
15 wheels of a vehicle being transported, the lights shall
16 be lighted while the towing vehicle is engaged in towing
17 on a highway during all times when the use of headlights
18 is required under Section 12-201 of this Code;
19 2. Motor vehicles or equipment of the State of
20 Illinois, local authorities and contractors; furthermore,
21 such lights shall not be lighted except while such
22 vehicles are engaged in maintenance or construction
23 operations within the limits of construction projects;
24 3. Vehicles or equipment used by engineering or
25 survey crews; furthermore, such lights shall not be
26 lighted except while such vehicles are actually engaged
27 in work on a highway;
28 4. Vehicles of public utilities, municipalities, or
29 other construction, maintenance or automotive service
30 vehicles except that such lights shall be lighted only as
31 a means for indicating the presence of a vehicular
32 traffic hazard requiring unusual care in approaching,
33 overtaking or passing while such vehicles are engaged in
34 maintenance, service or construction on a highway;
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1 5. Oversized vehicle or load; however, such lights
2 shall only be lighted when moving under permit issued by
3 the Department under Section 15-301 of this Code;
4 6. The front and rear of motorized equipment owned
5 and operated by the State of Illinois or any political
6 subdivision thereof, which is designed and used for
7 removal of snow and ice from highways;
8 7. Fleet safety vehicles registered in another
9 state, furthermore, such lights shall not be lighted
10 except as provided for in Section 12-212 of this Code;
11 8. Such other vehicles as may be authorized by
12 local authorities;
13 9. Law enforcement vehicles of State or local
14 authorities when used in combination with red
15 oscillating, rotating or flashing lights;
16 10. Vehicles used for collecting or delivering mail
17 for the United States Postal Service provided that such
18 lights shall not be lighted except when such vehicles are
19 actually being used for such purposes;
20 11. Any vehicle displaying a slow-moving vehicle
21 emblem as provided in Section 12-205.1;
22 12. All trucks equipped with self-compactors or
23 roll-off hoists and roll-on containers for garbage or
24 refuse hauling. Such lights shall not be lighted except
25 when such vehicles are actually being used for such
26 purposes;
27 13. Vehicles used by a security company, alarm
28 responder, or control agency, if the security company,
29 alarm responder, or control agency is bound by a contract
30 with a federal, State, or local government entity to use
31 the lights; and
32 14. Security vehicles of the Department of Human
33 Services; however, the lights shall not be lighted except
34 when being used for security related purposes under the
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1 direction of the superintendent of the facility where the
2 vehicle is located.
3 (c) The use of blue oscillating, rotating or flashing
4 lights, whether lighted or unlighted, is prohibited except
5 on:
6 1. Rescue squad vehicles not owned by a fire
7 department and vehicles owned or fully operated by a:
8 voluntary firefighter;
9 paid firefighter;
10 part-paid firefighter;
11 call firefighter;
12 member of the board of trustees of a fire
13 protection district;
14 paid or unpaid member of a rescue squad; or
15 paid or unpaid member of a voluntary ambulance
16 unit.
17 However, such lights are not to be lighted except
18 when responding to a bona fide emergency.
19 2. Police department vehicles in cities having a
20 population of 500,000 or more inhabitants.
21 3. Law enforcement vehicles of State or local
22 authorities when used in combination with red
23 oscillating, rotating or flashing lights.
24 4. Vehicles of local fire departments and State or
25 federal firefighting vehicles when used in combination
26 with red oscillating, rotating or flashing lights.
27 5. Vehicles which are designed and used exclusively
28 as ambulances or rescue vehicles when used in combination
29 with red oscillating, rotating or flashing lights;
30 furthermore, such lights shall not be lighted except when
31 responding to an emergency call.
32 6. Vehicles that are equipped and used exclusively
33 as organ transport vehicles when used in combination with
34 red oscillating, rotating, or flashing lights;
HB2056 Engrossed -5- LRB9206444ARsb
1 furthermore, these lights shall only be lighted when the
2 transportation is declared an emergency by a member of
3 the transplant team or a representative of the organ
4 procurement organization.
5 (d) The use of a combination of amber and white
6 oscillating, rotating or flashing lights, whether lighted or
7 unlighted, is prohibited, except motor vehicles or equipment
8 of the State of Illinois, local authorities and contractors
9 may be so equipped; furthermore, such lights shall not be
10 lighted except while such vehicles are engaged in highway
11 maintenance or construction operations within the limits of
12 highway construction projects.
13 (e) All oscillating, rotating or flashing lights
14 referred to in this Section shall be of sufficient intensity,
15 when illuminated, to be visible at 500 feet in normal
16 sunlight.
17 (f) Nothing in this Section shall prohibit a
18 manufacturer of oscillating, rotating or flashing lights or
19 his representative from temporarily mounting such lights on a
20 vehicle for demonstration purposes only.
21 (g) Any person violating the provisions of subsections
22 (a), (b), (c) or (d) of this Section who without lawful
23 authority stops or detains or attempts to stop or detain
24 another person shall be guilty of a Class 4 felony.
25 (h) Except as provided in subsection (g) above, any
26 person violating the provisions of subsections (a) or (c) of
27 this Section shall be guilty of a Class A misdemeanor.
28 (Source: P.A. 90-330, eff. 8-8-97; 90-347, eff. 1-1-98;
29 90-655, eff. 7-30-98; 91-357, eff. 7-29-99.)
30 (625 ILCS 5/12-802.1 new)
31 Sec. 12-802.1. Exterior reflective markings.
32 (a) Every school bus sold or manufactured for use in
33 Illinois on or after January 1, 2002 must be equipped with
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1 exterior reflective markings on the rear and sides of the bus
2 that comply with rules adopted by the Illinois Department of
3 Transportation.
4 (b) The Department shall adopt rules for implementing
5 this Section. The rules:
6 (1) Shall require the rear of school buses to be
7 marked with reflective material to outline the perimeter
8 of the back of the bus and the perimeter of the rear
9 emergency exit.
10 (2) Shall require the horizontal application of
11 strips of reflective material, not less than 1.75 inches
12 wide, above the rear windows, and above the rear bumper
13 from the edges of the rear emergency exit door to both
14 corners of the school bus with vertical strips of
15 reflective material at each corner connected to the
16 horizontal strips.
17 (3) Shall require the horizontal application of
18 strips of reflective material, not less than 1.75 inches
19 wide, the entire length of the sides of the school bus
20 and located equidistant, or as close as practicable,
21 between the bottom of the bus and the bottom window line
22 so as not to interfere with required lettering and not to
23 be placed on rub rails.
24 (625 ILCS 5/12-805) (from Ch. 95 1/2, par. 12-805)
25 Sec. 12-805. Special lighting equipment.
26 Each school bus purchased as a new vehicle after December
27 31, 1975 shall be equipped with an 8-lamp flashing signal
28 system. Until December 31, 1978, all other school buses shall
29 be equipped with either a 4-lamp or an 8-lamp flashing signal
30 system. After December 31, 1978, all school buses shall be
31 equipped with an 8-lamp flashing signal system.
32 A 4-lamp flashing signal system shall have 2 alternately
33 flashing red lamps mounted as high and as widely spaced
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1 laterally on the same level as practicable at the front of
2 the school bus and 2 such lamps mounted in the same manner at
3 the rear.
4 An 8-lamp flashing signal system shall have, in addition
5 to a 4-lamp system, 4 alternately flashing amber lamps. Each
6 amber lamp shall be mounted next to a red lamp and at the
7 same level but closer to the centerline of the school bus.
8 Each signal lamp shall be a sealed beam at least 5 1/2
9 inches in diameter and shall have sufficient intensity to be
10 visible at 500 feet in normal sunlight. Both the 4-lamp and
11 8-lamp system shall be actuated only by means of a manual
12 switch. There shall be a device for indicating to the driver
13 that the system is operating properly or is inoperative.
14 A school bus may also be equipped with alternately
15 flashing head lamps, which may be operated in conjunction
16 with the 8-lamp flashing signal system.
17 (Source: P.A. 79-1400.)
18 (625 ILCS 5/12-815) (from Ch. 95 1/2, par. 12-815)
19 Sec. 12-815. Strobe lamp on school bus.
20 (a) A school bus manufactured prior to January 1, 2000
21 may be equipped with one strobe lamp that will emit 60 to 120
22 flashes per minute of white or bluish-white light visible to
23 a motorist approaching the bus from any direction. A school
24 bus manufactured on or after January 1, 2000 shall be
25 equipped with one strobe lamp that will emit 60 to 120
26 flashes per minute of white or bluish-white light visible to
27 a motorist approaching the bus from any direction. The lamp
28 shall be of sufficient brightness to be visible in normal
29 sunlight when viewed directly from a distance of at least one
30 mile.
31 (b) The strobe lamp shall be mounted on the rooftop of
32 the bus with the light generating element in the lamp located
33 equidistant from each side and either at or behind the center
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1 of the rooftop. The maximum height of the element above the
2 rooftop shall not exceed 1/30 of its distance from the rear
3 of the rooftop. If the structure of the strobe lamp obscures
4 the light generating element, the element shall be deemed to
5 be in the center of the lamp with a maximum height 1/4 inch
6 less than the maximum height of the strobe lamp unless
7 otherwise indicated in rules and regulations promulgated by
8 the Department. The Department may promulgate rules and
9 regulations to govern measurements, glare, effectiveness and
10 protection of strobe lamps on school buses, including higher
11 strobe lamps than authorized in this paragraph.
12 (c) The strobe lamp must may be lighted only when the
13 school bus is actually being used as a school bus and:
14 1. is stopping or stopped for loading or
15 discharging pupils on a highway outside an urban area; or
16 2. is bearing one or more pupils and is either
17 stopped or, in the interest of safety, is moving very
18 slowly at a speed:
19 (i) less than the posted minimum speed limit,
20 or
21 (ii) less than 30 miles per hour on a highway
22 outside an urban area.
23 (Source: P.A. 91-168, eff. 1-1-00; 91-679, eff. 1-26-00.)
24 (625 ILCS 5/12-816 new)
25 Sec. 12-816. Bus driver complaints; reporting and
26 investigation.
27 (a) Any school bus operating in the State of Illinois,
28 as defined in Section 1-182 of this Code, shall display a
29 toll free number, which may be contacted to report the
30 improper operation of a school bus. The toll free number
31 shall be conspicuously displayed on the exterior of every
32 school bus.
33 (b) The Secretary of State, subject to appropriation,
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1 shall adopt rules establishing a toll free number that may be
2 contacted to report the improper operation of a school bus.
3 In addition, the Secretary of State shall establish by rule a
4 procedure for response to these reports and a procedure under
5 which the reports are forwarded to the appropriate law
6 enforcement and school officials within a reasonable period
7 of time.
8 (c) There shall be established in the Office of
9 Secretary of State, subject to appropriation, a division
10 exclusively dedicated to handling receipt, investigation, and
11 follow up of all complaints related to this Section. This
12 division shall also be responsible for all administrative
13 hearings that occur as result of action taken by the
14 Secretary in conjunction with the rules provided for in
15 subsection (b) of this Section.
16 (d) The School Bus Toll Free Hotline Fund is created as
17 a special fund in the State treasury. The moneys in the fund
18 shall come from appropriations. All moneys in the School Bus
19 Toll Free Hotline Fund shall, subject to appropriation, be
20 used to implement the activities required under this Section.
21 Section 10. The State Finance Act is amended by adding
22 Section 5.545 as follows:
23 (30 ILCS 105/5.545 new)
24 Sec. 5.545. The School Bus Toll Free Hotline Fund.
25 Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
26 becoming law.
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