An Act to Amend the Motor Vehicle Laws LR 2620(02)
Maine Legislature, Session 121, LD 1694
Committee Amendment CA_A_S419 (Senate)

COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "A. to S.P. 626, L.D. 1694, Bill, 
Act To Amend the Motor Vehicle Laws" 
"An 
Amend the bill by striking out all of sections 4 and 5 and 
inserting in their place the following: 
. Sec. 4. 29·A MRS A §2054, sub·§2, 1fD, as repealed and replaced 
by PL 2003, c. 510, Pt. C, §8 and affected by §10, is amended to 
read: 
D. 
Except as provided in this paragraph, a vehicle may not 
be equipped with or display a blue light. 
(1) 
Emergency lights used on the following vehicles 
must emit a blue light or a combination of blue and 
white 
light: 
a 
police 
vehicle; 
a 
Department 
of 
Corrections 
vehicle 
as 
described 
in 
subsection 
1, 
paragraph B, subparagraph (6); a vehicle operated by a 
chief of police, a sheriff or a deputy sheriff; and a 
vehicle operated by a qualified deputy sheriff or other 
qualified individual performing court security-related 
functions and services. 
(2) 
Emergency 
lights 
used 
on 
an 
ambulance, 
an 
emergency medical service vehicle, 
a fire department 
vehicleT--~--~~r~--yeRiele or 
a 
hazardous 
material 
response vehicle may include one blue light mounted aE 
facing toward the rear of the vehicle so that the light 
is primarily visible to approaching traffic from the 
rear only. 
Page l-LR2620(2) 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
.,. 
~ 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT .. A to S.P. 626, L.D. 1694 
(3) 
The taillight of 
a 
vehicle, 
or replica of 
a 
vehicle, 
manufactured prior 
to 
1952 
and 
registered 
under section 457, may contain a blue or purple insert 
of not more than one inch in diameter. 
Sec. 5. 29·A MRSA §2054, sub·§5, as amended by PL 2001, 
c . 
360, §7, is further amended to read: 
5. 
Exercise of privileges. 
The operator of an authorized 
emergency vehicle when 
responding to, but not upon returning 
from, an emergency call or fire alarm or when in pur sui t of an 
actual 
or 
suspected 
violator 
of 
the 
law 
may 
exercise 
the 
privileges set forth in this subsection. 
The operator of an 
authorized emergency vehicle may: 
A. 
Park or stand, notwithstanding the provisions of this 
chapter; 
B. 
Proceed past a red signal, stop signal or stop sign, but 
only after slowing down as necessary for safe operation; 
C. 
Exceed 
property is 
officers and 
not exercise 
the maximum speed 
not endangered, 
employees of the 
this privilege; 
limits as 
long as life or 
except that capital security 
Department of Corrections may 
D. 
Disregard regulations governing direction of movement or 
turning in specified directions; and 
E. 
Proceed with caution past a stopped school bus that has 
red lights flashing only: 
(1) 
After coming to a complete stop; and 
(2) 
When 
signaled 
by 
the 
school 
bus 
operator 
to 
proceed. 
Nothing 
in 
this 
subsection 
prohibits 
the 
operator 
of 
an 
authorized emergency vehicle from activating emergency lights for 
the limited purpose of warning motorists when entering or exiting 
structures designed to house the emergency vehicles. 
Sec. 6. 29·A MRSA §2057·A is enacted to read: 
§2057-A. 
Preemptive traffic light devices prohibited 
1. 
Definitions. 
As 
used in this 
section. 
unless 
the 
context 
otherwise 
indicates. 
the 
following 
terms 
have 
the 
following meanings. 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
\~, 
C\" 
.,.. 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT ,~ to S.P. 626, L.D. 1694 
A. 
"Lighted traffic control device" means a traffic control 
device 
conforming 
to 
the 
requirements 
of 
section 
2057, 
subsection 1. 
B. 
"Preemptive traffic light device" means a device capable 
of altering or interrupting the normal cycle of a lighted 
traffic control device 
or equipment associated with the 
functionality of a lighted traffic control device. 
2. 
Violation. 
A person commits a Class E crime if that 
person possesses a preemptive traffic light device or operates or 
allows 
the operation of 
a 
motor vehicle, 
vehicle, 
motorized 
wheelchair, electric personal mobility device, scooter or bicycle 
equipped with a preemptive traffic light device. 
3. 
Exemptions. This section does not apply to: 
A. 
An 
authorized 
emergency 
vehicle 
maintained 
by 
a 
municipality, 
county or state agency or an ambulance or 
emergency medical services vehicle as defined in section 
2054, subsection 1; 
B. 
Transit route buses engaged in the transportation of 
passengers and maintained by or contracted to a municipal, 
county or state agency; or 
C. 
A vehicle used by the Department of Transportation for 
the purpose of installing, maintaining or testing a lighted 
traffic control deyice.' 
Further amend the bill 
nonconsecutive 
consecutively. 
Part 
letter 
by relettering 
or 
section 
SUMMARY 
or renumbering 
number 
to 
any 
read 
This amendment clarifies that only fire department vehicles, 
and not personally owned vehicles, 
may be equipped with and 
display one blue light, that the light must face to the rear and 
that the light must be primarily visible to approaching traffic 
from the rear only. 
The 
amendment also allows the operator of an authorized 
emergency vehicle to activate emergency lights for the limited 
purpose of warning motorists when entering or exiting structures 
designed to house the emergency vehicles. 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT .. A 
to S.P. 626, L.D. 1694 
This 
amendment also prohibits the possession of devices 
designed to change traffic lights from red to green or green to 
red, 
except 
for 
those 
used 
in certain authorized 
emergency 
vehicles, transit buses and highway maintenance vehicles. 
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED 
(See attached) 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
Approved: 03/04/04 Mac:.. 
Office of Fiscal and Program Review 
LD 1694 
An Act to Amend the Motor Vehicle Laws 
LR 2620(02) 
Fiscal Note for Bill as Amended by Committee Amendment A 
Committee: Transportation 
Fiscal Note Required: Yes 
Fiscal Note 
Minor cost increase - General Fund 
Minor revenue increase - General Fund 
Minor municipal savings 
Correctional and Judicial Impact Statements: 
Establishes a new Class E crime. 
Fiscal Detail and Notes 
Reducing the number of school bus inspections from 4 times per year to 3 times per year will result in savings to 
school administrative units. Although the exact savings to each local school unit can not be determined, it is estimated 
that the statewide impact would be less than $8,000 in annual program cost reductions. 
LR2f20(2) - Fiscal Note - P,lge 1 of 1