Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Sponsors propose 14-foot 'halo' around emergency scenes in first hearing on House Bill 20
Summary
At a House Public Safety Committee hearing, sponsors of House Bill 20 said the measure would create a 14-foot buffer around active emergency scenes to keep bystanders from impeding first responders; committee members asked about overlap with existing obstruction laws and how the rule would be enforced.
House Bill 20, introduced at a House Public Safety Committee hearing, would create a 14-foot buffer — described by sponsors as a "halo" — around active emergency scenes and make knowingly crossing that buffer a misdemeanor-level offense. Sponsors said the measure is intended to give police, firefighters and emergency medical personnel uninterrupted space to treat victims and manage volatile scenes.
"Just give us 14 feet to do our jobs," Representative Phil Plummer said in sponsor testimony, adding that the bill would include warnings before any enforcement action. Representative Thomas Hall, a joint sponsor, said first responders often do not have time to set up caution tape and need a clear, readily understood distance to keep bystanders…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
