Duties of drivers approaching stationary vehicles displaying certain warning lights; penalty. (HB1911)

Introduced By

Del. Chris Peace (R-Mechanicsville) with support from co-patron Del. Mike Mullin (D-Newport News)

Progress

Introduced
Passed Committee
Passed House
Passed Senate
Signed by Governor
Became Law

Description

Duties of drivers of vehicles approaching stationary vehicles displaying certain warning lights; penalty. Makes a driver's failure to move into a nonadjacent lane on a highway with at least four lanes when approaching a stationary vehicle displaying flashing, blinking, or alternating blue, red, or amber lights, or, if changing lanes would be unreasonable or unsafe, to proceed with due caution and maintain a safe speed, reckless driving, which is punishable as a Class 1 misdemeanor. Under current law, a first such offense is a traffic infraction punishable by a fine of not more than $250, and a second such offense is punishable as a Class 1 misdemeanor. Read the Bill »

Outcome

Bill Has Passed

History

DateAction
01/04/2019Committee
01/04/2019Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/09/19 19101248D
01/04/2019Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice
01/07/2019Impact statement from VCSC (HB1911)
01/29/2019Assigned Courts sub: Subcommittee #1
01/30/2019Impact statement from DPB (HB1911)
01/30/2019Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute (8-Y 0-N)
02/01/2019Reported from Courts of Justice with substitute (18-Y 0-N) (see vote tally)
02/01/2019Committee substitute printed 19106242D-H1
02/03/2019Read first time
02/04/2019Impact statement from VCSC (HB1911H1)
02/04/2019Read second time
02/04/2019Committee substitute agreed to 19106242D-H1
02/04/2019Engrossed by House - committee substitute HB1911H1
02/05/2019Read third time and passed House BLOCK VOTE (99-Y 0-N)
02/05/2019VOTE: BLOCK VOTE PASSAGE (99-Y 0-N) (see vote tally)
02/05/2019Impact statement from DPB (HB1911H1)
02/06/2019Constitutional reading dispensed
02/06/2019Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice
02/11/2019Reported from Courts of Justice with substitute (15-Y 0-N) (see vote tally)
02/11/2019Committee substitute printed 19106735D-S1
02/11/2019Rereferred to Finance
02/12/2019Impact statement from VCSC (HB1911S1)
02/12/2019Impact statement from DPB (HB1911S1)
02/18/2019Reported from Finance with amendment (16-Y 0-N) (see vote tally)
02/19/2019Constitutional reading dispensed (40-Y 0-N) (see vote tally)
02/20/2019Read third time
02/20/2019Reading of substitute waived
02/20/2019Committee substitute agreed to 19106735D-S1
02/20/2019Reading of amendment waived
02/20/2019Committee amendment agreed to
02/20/2019Engrossed by Senate - committee substitute with amendment HB1911S1
02/20/2019Passed Senate with substitute with amendment (37-Y 3-N) (see vote tally)
02/21/2019Senate insisted on amendment (40-Y 0-N) (see vote tally)
02/21/2019Placed on Calendar
02/21/2019Senate substitute with amendment rejected by House 19106735D-S1 (0-Y 99-N)
02/21/2019VOTE: REJECTED (0-Y 99-N) (see vote tally)
02/21/2019Senate insisted on substitute with amendment (40-Y 0-N) (see vote tally)
02/21/2019Senate requested conference committee
02/21/2019House acceded to request
02/21/2019Conferees appointed by House
02/21/2019Delegates: Peace, Adams, L.R., Hope
02/21/2019Conferees appointed by Senate
02/21/2019Senators: Carrico, Obenshain, Petersen
02/22/2019C Amended by conference committee
02/22/2019Conference substitute printed 19107667D-H2
02/23/2019Conference report agreed to by Senate (37-Y 2-N) (see vote tally)
02/23/2019Conference report agreed to by House (99-Y 0-N)
02/23/2019VOTE: ADOPTION (99-Y 0-N) (see vote tally)
03/07/2019Enrolled
03/07/2019Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB1911ER)
03/07/2019Signed by Speaker
03/09/2019Signed by President
03/11/2019Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 11, 2019
03/11/2019G Governor's Action Deadline Midnight, March 26, 2019
03/11/2019Impact statement from DPB (HB1911ER)
03/12/2019Impact statement from VCSC (HB1911ER)
03/22/2019Governor's recommendation received by House
03/22/2019Governor's substitute printed 19107782D-H3
04/03/2019Placed on Calendar
04/03/2019House concurred in Governor's recommendation (99-Y 0-N)
04/03/2019VOTE: ADOPTION (99-Y 0-N) (see vote tally)
04/03/2019Senate concurred in Governor's recommendation (32-Y 6-N) (see vote tally)
04/03/2019Reconsideration of Governor's recommendation agreed to (37-Y 0-N) (see vote tally)
04/03/2019Passed by temporarily
04/03/2019Senate rejected Governor's recommendation (11-Y 27-N) (see vote tally)
04/03/2019Communicated to Governor
04/03/2019G Governor's Action Deadline Midnight, May 3, 2019
04/29/2019G Approved by Governor-Chapter 850 (effective 7/1/19)
04/29/2019G Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0850)

Comments

Ut Prosim writes:

Daily evidence exists that law enforcement officials place themselves and others in danger by parking alongside high-speed traffic corridors, exiting their vehicles and requiring citizens to do the same. Plain sight evidence shows that this tactic slows traffic in all lanes, often in both directions of a four-lane highway, restricting the free flow of transportation. Since the behavior is one of the most dangerous choices that a law enforcement officer can consciously make, it is incumbent that a different safety model be employed instead of further criminalizing citizens and businesses transiting public highways. Only under the most adverse conditions, e.g., a traffic accident in which vehicles cannot be immediately moved off the roadway, should government employees exit their vehicles along a high-speed roadway. The law should direct citizens and law enforcement to proceed to the nearest exit before stopping.

Making a traffic or emergency stop on the side of our Nation’s highways is one of the most dangerous things law enforcement officers do in the line of duty.
https://www.nhtsa.gov/staticfiles/communications/pdf/MoveOver_QA.pdf