Hunter
04/10/24
The Iowa House has passed a bill that places regulations on automatic traffic enforcement cameras.
The Des Moines Register reports lawmakers have struggled to pass traffic camera legislation for years, with some urging a complete ban, others pushing for regulations and others seeking to preserve cities’ control over the systems.
Republican Representative Phil Thompson is the chair of the House Public Safety Committee. He would rather the cameras be banned outright, but calls the legislation a way to prevent abuse of the camera systems.
The bill requires cities and counties wishing to use automatic traffic enforcement cameras to get a permit from the Iowa Department of Transportation, and would have to submit justification for their use.
The legislation only allows tickets to be issued for motorists going over 10 miles an hour over the posted speed limit; requires signage between 500 and 1000 feet from the cameras alerting drivers that the cameras are in use; and limits money collected from the tickets to fund transportation infrastructure projects or to offset police and fire department costs.
The House vote was 85-12; the bill now heads to the Senate, which passed a similar bill through committee earlier this year.
More details on the bill can be found here: