An Act To Ensure the Safety of Stationary Public Utility Emergency Service Vehicles
Maine Legislature, Session 127, LD 0196
Committee Amendment CA_A_S12 (Senate)
Amends: 29-A MRSA §2054

COMMITTEE AMENDMENT ".ft "to S.P. 71, L.D. 196, Bill, "An Act To Ensure 
the Safety of Stationary Public Utility Emergency Service Vehicles" 
Amend the bill by striking out the title and SUbstituting the following: 
'An Act To Ensure the Safety of Public Service Vehicles' 
Amend the bill by striking out everything after the enacting clause and before the 
summary and inserting the following: 
'Sec. 1. 29-A MRSA §2054, sub-§l, ~-1 is enacted to read: 
I-I. "Public service vehicle" means a vehicle used to assist members of the public or 
law enforcement officers with disabled vehicles or to remove debris from a roadway, 
or a vehicle used to construct, maintain, inspect or repair utility infrastructure, 
including, but not limited to, electricity, water, sewer, cable, telephone, gas and 
natural gas infrastructure. "Public service vehicle" includes a wrecker. 
Sec. 2. 29-A MRSA §2054, sub-§2, ~C, as amended by PL 2013, c. 462, §4, is 
further amended to read: 
C. The use of amber lights on vehicles is governed by the following. 
(1) 
A vehicle engaged in highway maintenance or in emergency rescue 
operations by emergency management and public safety agencies and a public 
lltility emergeBoy service vehicle may be equipped with auxiliary lights that emit 
an amber light. 
(I-A) A Department of Labor motor vehicle operated by a workplace safety 
inspector may be equipped with auxiliary lights that emit an amber light. 
(2) A wrecker must be equipped with a flashing light mounted on top of the 
vehicle in such a manner as to emit an amber light over a 360' angle. The light 
must be in use on a public way or a place where public traffic may reasonably be 
anticipated when servicing, freeing, loading, unloading or towing a vehicle. 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
COMMITrEE AMENDMENT 'A "to S.P. 71, L.D. 196 
(3) A vehicle engaged in snow removal or sanding operations on a public way 
must be equipped with and display an auxiliary light that provides visible light 
coverage over a 360' range. The light must emit an amber beam of light and be 
equipped with a blinking or strobe light function and have sufficient intensity to 
be visible at 500 feet in normal daylight. 
When the left wing of a plow is in 
operation and extends over the center of the road, an auxiliary light must show 
the extreme end of the left wing. That light may be attached to the vehicle so that 
the beam of light points at the left wing. The light illuminating the left wing may 
be controlled by a separate switch or by the regular lighting system and must be 
in operation at all times when the vehicle is used for plowing snow on public 
ways. 
(4) A vehicle equipped and used for plowing snow on other than public ways 
may be equipped with an auxiliary rotary flashing light that must be mounted on 
top of the vehicle in such a manner as to emit an amber beam oflight over a 360' 
angle, or an amber strobe, or combination of strobes, that emits at a minimum a 
beam of 50 candlepower and provides visible light coverage over a 360' range. 
The light may be in use on a public way only when the vehicle is entering the 
public way in the course of plowing private driveways and other off-highway 
locations. 
(.5) A rural mail vehicle may be equipped with auxiliary lights. 
(a) 
The lights used to the front must be white or amber, or any shade 
between white and amber. 
(b) The lights used to the rear must be amber or red, or any shade between 
amber and red. 
(c) The lights, whether used to the front or rear, must be mounted at the 
same level and as widely spaced laterally as possible. 
(d) The lights, whether used to the front or rear, must flash simultaneously. 
(e) The lights must be visible from a distance of at least 500 feet in normal 
daylight. 
(6) A vehicle used or provided by a contract security company to assist in traffic 
control and direction at construction or maintenance sites on a public way may be 
equipped with amber auxiliary lights. 
(7) A Department of Public Safety vehicle operated by a motor carrier inspector 
or motor vehicle inspector may be equipped with auxiliary lights that emit an 
amber light. 
(8) A vehicle used by an animal control officer appointed pursuant to Title 7, 
section 3947 may be equipped with auxiliary lights that emit a flashing amber 
light. 
(9) A refuse, garbage or trash business vehicle used by an individual to transport 
refuse, garbage and trash may be equipped with auxiliary lights that emit a 
flashing amber light. 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
'\ 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "A "to S.P. 71, L.D. 196 
(10) A vehicle used by an individual to transport and deliver newspapers may be 
equipped with auxiliary lights that emit a flashing amber light. 
Sec. 3. 29-A MRSA §2054, sub-§2, ~G, as enacted by PL 1993, c. 683, Pt. A, 
§2 and affected by Pt. B, §5, is amended to read: 
G. 
A vehicle may be equipped with a spotlight. Only spotlights on authorized 
emergency vehicles, highway maintenance vehicles and public ffiH.ity service vehicles 
may be used on a public way, except any vehicle may use a spotlight in cases of 
necessity when other lights required by law fail to operate. 
Sec. 4. 29-A MRSA §2054, sub-§9, as amended by PL 2007, c. 348, §20, is 
further amended to read: 
9. Stationary vehicles. The operator of a vehicle passing a stationary authorized 
emergency vehicle using an emergency light or a stationary 'Nrecker public service 
vehicle using its authorized lights, with due regard to the safety and traffic conditions, 
shall: 
A. Pass in a lane not adjacent to that of the authorized emergency vehicle or v;recker 
public service vehicle, if possible; or 
B. 
If passing in a nonadjacent lane is impossible or unsafe, pass the emergency 
vehicle or vlrecker public service vehicle at a careful and prudent speed reasonable 
for passing the authorized emergency vehicle or "wecker public service vehicle 
safely. 
A violation of this subsection is a traffic infraction for which a minimum fine of $250 
must be adjudged.' 
SUMMARY 
This amendment, which strikes and replaces the bill, adds public service vehicles to 
the list of stationary vehicles for which a motorist must move to a nonadjacent lane, if 
possible, or slow down. 
The amendment defines a "public service vehicle" as a vehicle used to assist 
members of the public or law enforcement officers with disabled vehicles or to remove 
debris from a roadway, or as a vehicle used to construct, maintain, inspect or repair utility 
infrastructure, including, but not limited to, electricity, water, sewer, cable, telephone, gas 
and natural gas infrastructure. 
.. The amendment also provides that a "public service 
vehicle" includes a wrecker. 
The amendment provides that a public service vehicle may be equipped with 
auxiliary lights that emit an amber light and may be equipped with a spotlight. 
FISCAL :\OTE liEQUlRED 
(See attached) 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
Approved: 03/24/15 
::Wac 
LD 196 
LR 1017(02) 
An Act To Ensure the Safety of Stationary Public Utility Emergency Service Vehicles 
Fiscal Note for Bill as Amended by Committee Amendment ''If (5- ( 2) 
Committee: Transportation 
. 
Fiscal Note Required: Yes 
Fiscal Note 
Minor cost increase - General Fund 
Minor revenue increase - General Fund 
Correctional and Judicial Impact Statements 
Establishes new traffic infractions. 
The collection of additional fmes may also increase General Fund revenue by minor amounts. 
LRI017(02) - Fiscal Note - Page 1 of 1 
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