PRIOR PRINTER'S NO. 1206                      PRINTER'S NO. 1964


THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA


HOUSE BILL

No. 1050 Session of 2005


        INTRODUCED BY LEH, GEIST, SCAVELLO, ARMSTRONG, BALDWIN, BARRAR,

           BASTIAN, BELARDI, BENNINGHOFF, BOYD, CAPPELLI, CAUSER,

           CLYMER, CORNELL, CORRIGAN, CRAHALLA, CREIGHTON, DALLY,

           FABRIZIO, FLEAGLE, FLICK, FREEMAN, GABIG, GILLESPIE,

           GINGRICH, HANNA, HARRIS, HERMAN, HERSHEY, HICKERNELL,

           KAUFFMAN, W. KELLER, KOTIK, MACKERETH, MAJOR, MANDERINO,

           McGILL, McILHATTAN, McILHINNEY, McNAUGHTON, R. MILLER, MUNDY,

           MUSTIO, NAILOR, O'NEILL, PAYNE, PETRI, PYLE, QUIGLEY, REED,

           REICHLEY, ROSS, RUBLEY, SATHER, SCHRODER, B. SMITH, SOLOBAY,

           STEIL, R. STEVENSON, T. STEVENSON, STURLA, TANGRETTI,

           E. Z. TAYLOR, TIGUE, TRUE, WALKO, WANSACZ, WATSON, WILT,

           WRIGHT, YUDICHAK, ZUG, DALEY AND DENLINGER, MARCH 21, 2005


        AS REPORTED FROM COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION, HOUSE OF

           REPRESENTATIVES, AS AMENDED, MAY 11, 2005


                                     AN ACT

 

     1  Amending Title 75 (Vehicles) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated

     2     Statutes, further providing for conviction and point

     3     schedules; and providing for radar enforcement systems pilot

     4     program.

 

     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.

 


     1         (2)  If a speeding offense under section 3362 (relating

     2     to maximum speed limits) is charged as a result of use of a

     3     device authorized by section 3368.1 (relating to radar

     4     enforcement systems pilot program), no points shall be

     5     assigned under subsection (a) if the speed recorded is less

     6     than ten miles per hour in excess of the legally posted speed

     7     limit.

     8     * * *

     9     Section 2.  Title 75 is amended by adding a section to read:

    10  § 3368.1.  Radar enforcement systems pilot program.

    11     (a)  General rule.--

    12         (1)  A city of the first class, a city of the second

    13     class, one third class city, one first class township, one

    14     second class township, one borough and one regional police

    15     force encompassing any combination of municipalities, upon

    16     passage of an ordinance, section 3368(c)(2) (relating to

    17     speed timing devices) notwithstanding, are authorized to

    18     enforce section 3362 (relating to maximum speed limits) on

    19     highways owned by the municipality using electronic devices

    20     such as radio-microwave devices (commonly referred to as

    21     electronic speed meters or radar).

    22         (2)  This section shall only be applicable in the

    23     municipalities as selected by the Local Government Commission

    24     and the Secretary of Transportation who shall consider

    25     selection based upon applications submitted by the

    26     municipalities prior to June 30, 2006, provided that the

    27     municipalities meet the following requirements:

    28             (i)  Officers must complete a training course

    29         approved by the Pennsylvania State Police and the

    30         Municipal Police Officers' Education and Training

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     1         Commission.

     2             (ii)  The municipalities chosen may only use full-

     3         time police officers employed by the full-service police

     4         department of a political subdivision or regional police

     5         department.

     6             (iii)  Official warning signs indicating the use of

     7         these devices are erected within 500 feet of the border

     8         of the political subdivision on the main arteries

     9         entering that political subdivision.

    10     (b)  Local ordinance required to enforce.--Prior to use of

    11  radio-microwave speed timing devices or infrared laser light      <--

    12  devices used for speed timing by local or regional police

    13  officers, the appropriate governing body must adopt an ordinance

    14  authorizing the local or regional police department to employ

    15  such devices on roads within the boundaries of the governing

    16  body and in accordance with section 6109(a)(11) (relating to

    17  specific powers of department and local authorities) to address

    18  citizen complaints or demonstrable traffic safety concerns, such

    19  as high crash rates or fatalities. The Local Government

    20  Commission shall file an annual report with the chairman and the

    21  minority chairman of the Transportation Committee of the Senate

    22  and the chairman and minority chairman of the Transportation

    23  Committee of the House of Representatives. The report at a

    24  minimum shall include for the prior year:

    25         (1)  The number of violations and fines issued.

    26         (2)  A compilation of fines paid and outstanding.

    27     (c)  Penalty.--

    28         (1)  A fine is not authorized during the first 120 days

    29     of operation of the automated system. During the time period

    30     under this paragraph, a warning may be issued to the

    20050H1050B1964                  - 3 -    


     1     violator.

     2         (2)  A penalty imposed under this section shall not be

     3     deemed a criminal conviction and shall not be made part of

     4     the operating record under section 1535 (relating to schedule

     5     of convictions and points) of the individual upon whom the

     6     penalty is imposed, nor may the imposition of the penalty be

     7     subject to merit rating for insurance purposes.

     8         (3)  No surcharge points may be imposed in the provision

     9     of motor vehicle insurance coverage. Fines collected under

    10     this section shall not be subject to 42 Pa.C.S. § 3571

    11     (relating to Commonwealth portion of fines, etc.) or 3573

    12     (relating to municipal corporation portion of fines, etc.).

    13     (d)  Department approval.--No enforcement using radar may be

    14  used without the approval of the department, which shall have

    15  the authority to promulgate regulations for the certification

    16  and use of such systems.

    17     (e)  Revenue limitation.--The primary use of radar by local

    18  or regional police officers is for traffic safety purposes. Each

    19  local or regional police department that uses radar shall report

    20  annually to the Pennsylvania State Police the municipal revenue

    21  generated from speed enforcement citations on such forms as may

    22  be prescribed by the Pennsylvania State Police. In the event the

    23  municipal share of revenue generated from speed enforcement

    24  citations exceeds 5% of the total municipal budget or 5% of the

    25  regional police department budget, all sums in excess thereof

    26  shall be remitted to the Pennsylvania State Police to be used

    27  for traffic safety purposes.

    28     (f)  Definitions.--As used in this section, the following

    29  words and phrases shall have the meanings given to them in this

    30  subsection:

    20050H1050B1964                  - 4 -    


     1     "Full-service police department."  A local or regional police

     2  department which:

     3         (1)  is authorized by one or more political subdivisions;

     4         (2)  provides 24-hour-a-day patrol and investigative

     5     services; and

     6         (3)  reports its activities monthly to the Pennsylvania

     7     State Police in accordance with the Uniform Crime Reporting

     8     System.

     9     "Full-time police officer."  An employee of a political

    10  subdivision or regional police department who complies with all

    11  of the following:

    12         (1)  Is certified under 53 Pa.C.S. Ch. 21 Subch. D

    13     (relating to municipal police education and training).

    14         (2)  Is empowered to enforce 18 Pa.C.S. (relating to

    15     crimes and offenses) and this title.

    16         (3)  Is a regular full-time police officer under the act

    17     of June 15, 1951 (P.L.586, No.144), entitled "An act

    18     regulating the suspension, removal, furloughing and

    19     reinstatement of police officers in boroughs and townships of

    20     the first class having police forces of less than three

    21     members, and in townships of the second class," or works a

    22     minimum of 200 days a year.

    23         (4)  Is provided coverage by a police pension plan under:

    24             (i)  the act of May 24, 1893 (P.L.129, No.82),

    25         entitled "An act to empower boroughs and cities to

    26         establish a police pension fund, to take property in

    27         trust therefor and regulating and providing for the

    28         regulation of the same";

    29             (ii)  the act of June 23, 1931 (P.L.932, No.317),

    30         known as The Third Class City Code;

    20050H1050B1964                  - 5 -    


     1             (iii)  the act of May 22, 1935 (P.L.233, No.99),

     2         referred to as the Second Class City Policemen Relief

     3         Law;

     4             (iv)  the act of May 29, 1956 (1955 P.L.1804,

     5         No.600), referred to as the Municipal Police Pension Law;

     6         or

     7             (v)  the act of July 15, 1957 (P.L.901, No.399),

     8         known as the Optional Third Class City Charter Law.

     9     The term does not include auxiliary, part-time or fire

    10     police.

    11     (g)  Expiration.--This section shall expire December 31,

    12  2011.

    13     Section 3.  This act shall take effect in 120 days.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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