SF 2224 – Motor vehicles passing bicyclists
SF 2244 – Persons with disabilities plates for vehicles owned by trust
SF 2247 – Motor vehicle dealer licenses
FLOOR ACTION:
SF 2224 addresses motor vehicles overtaking and passing bicyclists. The bill:
- Broadens the definition of “lanes of travel” to include bike lanes and paved shoulders, thereby prohibiting a driver from steering unreasonably close to or toward a bicyclist in these lanes, per Code section 321.281. Under current law, a violation is punishable by a scheduled fine of $250.
- Requires a driver to pass to the left of a bicycle in an adjacent travel lane or on the opposite side of the road until safely clear of the bicyclist, in accordance with Code section 321.281. Under current law, a violation is punishable by a scheduled fine of $100.
[2/24: 38-12 (Behn, Bisignano, Breitbach, Chapman, Dix, Guth, Schneider, Schultz, Taylor, Whitver, Zaun, Zumbach “no”)]
SF 2244, as amended on the Senate floor, allows a trustee to apply for persons with disabilities license plates when the primary user of a vehicle that is owned by a trust has a disability.
[2/24: 50-0]
SF 2247 was brought to us by the Iowa Independent Auto Dealers Association. The bill addresses licenses for auto dealers and wholesalers to provide protections for consumers, level playing field for legitimate dealers and aid law enforcement. The bill does four things:
- Adds advertising to the definition of “engaged in the business” as the term relates to motor vehicle manufacturers, distributors, wholesalers and dealers in Code chapter 322.
- Prohibits a licensed motor vehicle dealer or wholesaler from allowing anyone else to use their license to sell cars. This provision does not, however, require separate licensing of a dealer’s employed salespeople. About 1,500 people in Iowa could be classified as being in the business without having a license. They may work off another dealer’s license or simply operate as a dealer without a license.
- Anyone convicted of three or more violations within a three-year period will be prohibited for five years from being an owner, salesperson, employee, officer of a corporation, or representative of a licensed motor vehicle dealer.
- Requires print or digital media ads for the sale of a specific motor vehicle to include the dealer’s business name and license number. Under current law, this is a simple misdemeanor punishable by a fine of $250 to $1,500 or up to 30 days in jail.
[2/24: 50-0]