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Pennsylvania State Senate
06/05/2024 05:01 PM
Pennsylvania State Senate
https://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/Legis/CSM/showMemoPublic.cfm?SPick=20230&chamber=S&cosponId=39346
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Senate of Pennsylvania
Session of 2023 - 2024 Regular Session

MEMORANDUM

Posted: January 13, 2023 04:38 PM
From: Senator Greg Rothman
To: All Senate members
Subject: Helping Local Police Protect Our Communities Through RADAR/LIDAR
 
In the near future, I will be introducing legislation to authorize local police to use RADAR/LIDAR for speed enforcement.
 
Similar to my legislation, SB419 passed the Senate last session 49-1 and was sponsored by Senators Scavello, Browne, Mensch, Bartolotta, Collett, Martin, Muth, Stefano, Aument, Tartaglione, Baker, Kearney, L. Williams, Gordner, Pittman, Yudichak, Brewster, Haywood, and Santarsiero.

Currently, the Vehicle Code limits local police to the use of speed timing devices for speed enforcement, and the use of RADAR is currently limited to PSP. Under my legislation, a local police department would be permitted to use RADAR/LIDAR contingent upon the following:
  • A municipality would need to first pass an ordinance authorizing the use of RADAR/LIDAR.
  • A municipality must install signs advertising the use of RADAR/LIDAR at the municipality’s border.
  • Collected revenue may not exceed the previous year’s speed enforcement revenue by more than 1%.
  • Local police officers would be required to complete a training course before use.
  • RADAR/LIDAR may only be used when the officer is in or adjacent to a clearly marked law enforcement vehicle.
  • No citation may be issued unless the driver is exceeding the posted speed limit by 10 mph or more.
  • Citations may not result in the issuance of points or insurance surcharges.
  • For the first 90 days of enforcement using RADAR/LIDAR, only written warnings may be used.
Police need tools at their disposal to keep our communities safe. My proposed legislation gives law enforcement an optional tool to help keep our roads safer, while ensuring RADAR/LIDAR is not used as a means for revenue-generation.

Please consider co-sponsoring this important legislation. Direct any questions to Ben Slate at bslate@pasen.gov.


Introduced as SB459