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Committee advances bill requiring school‑zone speed photos to show that warning lights were active
Summary
House Bill 2718 would require photographic or video evidence that demonstrates school‑zone warning lights were active at the time a speed photo was taken; the subcommittee reported the bill 8‑0.
The subcommittee reported House Bill 2718 by an 8‑0 vote after the sponsor argued that photographs and video used to establish a prima facie speed violation in a school zone should include evidence that the school‑zone lights were active at the time of the alleged offense.
"It only seems fair that the video that's being used to establish that prima facie case contained the evidence that would be necessary to establish the offense, that the lights were activated and operational at the time of the offense," the bill sponsor said, explaining that the lights and signage indicating the reduced school‑zone speed are essential elements of the alleged violation.
The sponsor described a personal example where a household struggled to determine who was driving a vehicle captured by photo enforcement and underscored the principle that the evidence relied upon to shift a burden to a defendant should demonstrate the necessary elements of the offense.
After discussion and a motion to report the bill, the subcommittee recorded an 8‑0 vote in favor of reporting House Bill 2718 as substituted.
