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Transportation committee approves amendment making injury to first responder in activated emergency vehicle an infraction
Summary
The Senate Transportation Committee adopted an amendment to Senate Bill 2132 that would classify causing injury to a first responder or operator/occupant of an activated authorized emergency vehicle as an infraction (fine up to $1,000). The committee then recommended a "do pass" on SB 2132 as amended.
Senator Rummel offered an amendment to Senate Bill 2132 to clarify and expand the statute that addresses harm to emergency responders. "We needed to have a clear definition of what an authorized emergency vehicle is," Rummel said during the committee discussion, and he asked legislative counsel to fold the Century Code definition into the bill language.
The amendment as presented inserted a definition of "authorized emergency vehicle" consistent with the Century Code and changed the offense so that causing or inflicting injury on the person of a first responder or an operator or occupant of an authorized emergency vehicle with lights activated would be treated as an infraction rather than as a higher‑level offense. Committee discussion clarified that an infraction classification can carry a fine up to $1,000 and that the provision applies when emergency lights are activated.
Committee action
The committee approved the amendment on a voice/roll call vote. Vice Chair Corey, Senator Hogan, Senator Klein, Senator Paulson, Senator Romo and Chairman Clemens recorded "aye" votes on the amendment. The clerk recorded the vote on the amendment (amendment identifier 25.0700.01001 to SB 2132) as adopted.
Following adoption of the amendment, the committee voted to give SB 2132 a "do pass" recommendation as amended; the same senators recorded "aye" votes and the motion carried.
What it means
By reclassifying an incident that injures a responder or an occupant of an activated authorized emergency vehicle as an infraction, the amendment changes the statutory penalty structure and signals the committee's intent to make injuring first responders in these circumstances an explicitly punishable conduct subject to an infraction fine. The committee chair and sponsor indicated the change was intended to clarify protections for emergency personnel and to align statutory definitions with existing Century Code language for "authorized emergency vehicle." The amendment and subsequent committee do‑pass establish the committee's support for sending the amended bill to the full Senate.
