PRINTER'S NO. 824
No. 296 Session of 2007
INTRODUCED BY RAFFERTY, CORMAN, ERICKSON, C. WILLIAMS, LOGAN, STACK, WONDERLING AND BAKER, APRIL 10, 2007
REFERRED TO TRANSPORTATION, APRIL 10, 2007
AN ACT 1 Amending Title 75 (Vehicles) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated 2 Statutes, further providing for conviction and point 3 schedules, for speed timing devices and for State and local 4 powers. 5 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania 6 hereby enacts as follows: 7 Section 1. Section 1535(d) of Title 75 of the Pennsylvania 8 Consolidated Statutes is amended to read: 9 § 1535. Schedule of convictions and points. 10 * * * 11 (d) [Exception] Exceptions.-- 12 (1) This section does not apply to a person who was 13 operating a pedalcycle or an animal drawn vehicle. 14 (2) If a speeding offense under section 3362 (relating 15 to maximum speed limits) is charged as a result of use of a 16 device authorized by section 3368(c)(2)(ii) (relating to 17 speed timing devices), no points shall be assigned under 18 subsection (a) unless the speed recorded is ten or more miles
1 per hour in excess of the legal speed limit. 2 * * * 3 Section 2. Section 3368(a), (c), (d) and (e) of Title 75 are 4 amended and the section is amended by adding subsections to 5 read: 6 § 3368. Speed timing devices. 7 (a) Speedometers authorized.--The rate of speed of any 8 vehicle may be timed on any highway by a police officer using a 9 motor vehicle equipped with a speedometer, except as provided in 10 section 6109 (relating to specific powers of department and 11 local authorities). In ascertaining the speed of a vehicle by 12 the use of a speedometer, the speed shall be timed for a 13 distance of not less than three-tenths of a mile. 14 * * * 15 (c) Mechanical, electrical and electronic devices 16 authorized.-- 17 (1) Except as otherwise provided in this section and in 18 section 6109, the rate of speed of any vehicle may be timed 19 on any highway by a police officer using a mechanical or 20 electrical speed timing device. 21 (2) Except as otherwise provided in paragraph (3), 22 electronic devices such as radio-microwave devices (commonly 23 referred to as electronic speed meters or radar) or infrared 24 laser light devices (commonly referred to as LIDAR) may be 25 used [only by]: 26 (i) By members of the Pennsylvania State Police. 27 (ii) Upon completion of a training course approved 28 by the Pennsylvania State Police and the Municipal Police 29 Officers' Education and Training Commission, by full-time 30 police officers employed by the full-service police 20070S0296B0824 - 2 -
1 department of a political subdivision or regional police 2 department situate in a county of the first class, second 3 class, second class A or third class if official warning 4 signs indicating the use of these devices are erected 5 within 500 feet of the border of the political 6 subdivision on the main arteries entering that political 7 subdivision. 8 (3) Electronic devices which calculate speed by 9 measuring elapsed time between measured road surface points 10 by using two sensors and devices which measure and calculate 11 the average speed of a vehicle between any two points may be 12 used by any police officer. 13 (4) No person may be convicted upon evidence obtained 14 through the use of devices authorized by paragraphs (2) and 15 (3) unless the speed recorded is six or more miles per hour 16 in excess of the legal speed limit. Furthermore, no person 17 may be convicted upon evidence obtained through the use of 18 devices authorized by subparagraph (2)(ii) or paragraph (3) 19 in an area where the legal speed limit is less than 55 miles 20 per hour if the speed recorded is less than ten miles per 21 hour in excess of the legal speed limit. This paragraph shall 22 not apply to evidence obtained through the use of devices 23 authorized by paragraph (2) or (3) within a school zone or an 24 active work zone. 25 (5) As used in this subsection, the following words and 26 phrases shall have the meanings given to them in this 27 paragraph: 28 "Full-service police department." A local or regional 29 police department which: 30 (i) is authorized by one or more political 20070S0296B0824 - 3 -
1 subdivisions; 2 (ii) provides 24-hour-a-day patrol and investigative 3 services; and 4 (iii) reports its activities monthly to the 5 Pennsylvania State Police in accordance with the Uniform 6 Crime Reporting System. 7 "Full-time police officer." An employee of a political 8 subdivision or regional police department who complies with 9 all of the following: 10 (i) Is certified under 53 Pa.C.S. Ch. 21 Subch. D 11 (relating to municipal police education and training). 12 (ii) Is empowered to enforce 18 Pa.C.S. (relating to 13 crimes and offenses) and this title. 14 (iii) Is a regular full-time police officer under 15 the act of June 15, 1951 (P.L.586, No.144), entitled "An 16 act regulating the suspension, removal, furloughing and 17 reinstatement of police officers in boroughs and 18 townships of the first class having police forces of less 19 than three members, and in townships of the second 20 class," or works a minimum of 200 days a year. 21 (iv) Is provided coverage by a police pension plan 22 under: 23 (A) the act of May 24, 1893 (P.L.129, No.82), 24 entitled "An act to empower boroughs and cities to 25 establish a police pension fund, to take property in 26 trust therefor and regulating and providing for the 27 regulation of the same"; 28 (B) the act of June 23, 1931 (P.L.932, No.317), 29 known as The Third Class City Code; 30 (C) the act of May 22, 1935 (P.L.233, No.99), 20070S0296B0824 - 4 -
1 referred to as the Second Class City Policemen Relief 2 Law; 3 (D) the act of May 29, 1956 (1955 P.L.1804, 4 No.600), referred to as the Municipal Police Pension 5 Law; or 6 (E) the act of July 15, 1957 (P.L.901, No.399), 7 known as the Optional Third Class City Charter Law. 8 The term does not include auxiliary, part-time or fire 9 police. 10 (d) Classification, approval and testing of mechanical, 11 electrical and electronic devices.--The department may, by 12 regulation, classify specific devices as being mechanical, 13 electrical or electronic. All mechanical, electrical or 14 electronic devices shall be of a type approved by the 15 department, which shall appoint stations for calibrating and 16 testing the devices [and may prescribe regulations as to the 17 manner in which calibrations and tests shall be made]. All 18 devices, including LIDAR laser devices and electronic speed 19 meters or radar, must have been tested for accuracy within a 20 period of one year prior to the alleged violation in accordance 21 with specifications prescribed by the National Highway Traffic 22 Safety Administration (NHTSA). All electronic devices, such as 23 LIDAR laser devices, and electronic speed devices, such as speed 24 meters or radar, approved for use in this Commonwealth, must 25 appear on the International Association of Chiefs of Police 26 consumer products list, in conjunction with National Highway 27 Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) standards. The 28 certification and calibration of electronic devices under 29 subsection (c)(3) shall also include the certification and 30 calibration of all equipment, timing strips and other devices 20070S0296B0824 - 5 -
1 which are actually used with the particular electronic device 2 being certified and calibrated. [The devices shall have been 3 tested for accuracy within a period of 60 days prior to the 4 alleged violation.] A certificate from the station showing that 5 the calibration and test were made within the required period, 6 and that the device was accurate, shall be competent and prima 7 facie evidence of those facts in every proceeding in which a 8 violation of this title is charged. 9 (e) Distance requirements for use of mechanical, electrical 10 and electronic devices.--[Mechanical] 11 (1) Except as provided in paragraph (2), mechanical, 12 electrical or electronic devices may not be used to time the 13 rate of speed of vehicles within 500 feet after a speed limit 14 sign indicating a decrease of speed. This limitation on the 15 use of speed timing devices shall not apply to speed limit 16 signs indicating school zones, bridge and elevated structure 17 speed limits, hazardous grade speed limits and work zone 18 speed limits. 19 (2) Whenever radio-microwave speed timing devices or 20 infrared laser light devices are used by a local or regional 21 police officer of a political subdivision authorized under 22 subsection (c), the police officer must locate the vehicle 23 with the radio-microwave speed timing device or infrared 24 laser light device in a location that is not intentionally 25 concealed from the motoring public. 26 (f) Local ordinance required to enforce.-- 27 (1) Prior to use of radio-microwave speed timing devices 28 or infrared laser light devices used for speed timing by 29 local or regional police officers of political subdivisions 30 authorized under subsection (c), the appropriate governing 20070S0296B0824 - 6 -
1 body must adopt an ordinance authorizing the local or 2 regional police department to employ such devices on roads 3 within the boundaries of the governing body where a required 4 engineering and traffic study has been conducted and in 5 accordance with section 6109(a)(11) to address citizen 6 complaints or demonstrable traffic safety concerns, such as 7 high crash rates or fatalities. 8 (2) During the initial 90 days of speed enforcement by a 9 local or regional police department of a political 10 subdivision authorized under subsection (c) using radio- 11 microwave speed timing devices or infrared laser light 12 devices, persons may only be sanctioned for violations with a 13 written warning. 14 (g) Excess revenues.--The primary use of radar or LIDAR by 15 local or regional police officers of political subdivisions 16 authorized under subsection (c) is for traffic safety purposes. 17 Each local or regional police department that uses radar or 18 LIDAR shall report annually to the Pennsylvania State Police the 19 municipal revenue generated from speed enforcement citations on 20 such forms as may be prescribed by the Pennsylvania State 21 Police. In the event the municipal share of revenue generated 22 from speed enforcement citations exceeds 5% of the total 23 municipal budget or 5% of the regional police department budget, 24 all sums in excess thereof shall be remitted to the Pennsylvania 25 State Police to be used for traffic safety purposes. 26 Section 3. Section 6109(a)(11) of Title 75 is amended to 27 read: 28 § 6109. Specific powers of department and local authorities. 29 (a) Enumeration of police powers.--The provisions of this 30 title shall not be deemed to prevent the department on State- 20070S0296B0824 - 7 -
1 designated highways and local authorities on streets or highways 2 within their physical boundaries from the reasonable exercise of 3 their police powers. The following are presumed to be reasonable 4 exercises of police power: 5 * * * 6 (11) Enforcement of speed restrictions authorized under 7 Subchapter F of Chapter 33[, except that] in accordance with 8 the following: 9 (i) Except as set forth in subparagraph (ii), speed 10 restrictions may be enforced by [local police] full-time 11 police officers employed by the full-service police 12 department of a political subdivision or regional police 13 department on a limited access or divided highway only if 14 [it] this title authorizes such enforcement and the 15 highway is patrolled by the local or regional police 16 force under the terms of an agreement with the 17 Pennsylvania State Police. 18 (ii) If this title authorizes speed restrictions to 19 be enforced by a police department of a city of the first 20 class, they may be enforced on limited access or divided 21 highways within the police department's jurisdiction. An 22 agreement with the Pennsylvania State Police is not 23 necessary under this subparagraph. 24 * * * 25 Section 4. This act shall take effect in 120 days. A12L75DMS/20070S0296B0824 - 8 -