Committee hears bill to classify striking an authorized emergency vehicle as infraction

Senate Bill 2132, which would add “authorized emergency vehicle” to the definition of careless driving in North Dakota law, was the subject of a hearing before the North Dakota Senate Transportation Committee. The bill’s sponsor, Senator Dean Rommel, introduced the measure and multiple public-safety organizations testified in favor.

Rommel said the change aims to bring the legal protection for emergency vehicles in line with what snowplow operators already have under state law. “There’s no defense to losing control of a vehicle and striking an emergency vehicle that has its lights activated,” Rommel said while introducing the bill.

The bill’s backers told the committee the change would make striking an emergency vehicle an infraction — the same category that now applies to snowplow crashes — with a maximum penalty of $1,000 and a required court appearance. Tom Iverson, chief of operations for the North Dakota Highway Patrol, said the agency recorded 13 department vehicle crashes in calendar years 2023 and 2024 when personnel were operating with overhead lights activated. Iverson said nine patrol cars were totaled, 11 of the 13 crashes occurred during traffic stops or while providing traffic control, and most took place between October and March during inclement weather. “All 11 incidents tied to traffic stops or traffic control occurred during inclement weather,” Iverson said.

Representatives of the Chiefs of Police Association, the North Dakota Peace Officers Association, the Department of Transportation, the Professional Firefighters of North Dakota and a county sheriff testified in support. Stephanie Ingebretsen of the Chiefs of Police Association said the chiefs “stand in support of Senate Bill 2,132” because the change would reduce the disruption to public services and better protect responders. Darren Schimpke, president of Professional Firefighters of North Dakota, described national statistics on vehicle strikes and said fire apparatus replacement can exceed $1 million.

Committee members questioned whether the bill’s language covered occupants and other responders at a scene in addition to the “operator” of a vehicle. The sponsor and committee agreed to pursue a clarifying amendment. “We want everybody that’s in that emergency vehicle to be covered by this particular bill,” a committee member said during floor discussion; the sponsor agreed to work with legislative counsel on amendment language.

No formal committee vote on SB 2132 was recorded at the hearing. The committee recessed after closing testimony and indicated staff and the sponsor would prepare an amendment — for example, broadening the language to refer to “operators and other emergency responders at the scene” — to present at a later meeting.

Why it matters: witnesses said current fines for striking an emergency vehicle are small (examples cited were $30 for careless driving and $50 for failure to move over) and often do not reflect the operational costs, equipment replacement, and safety risk to responders. Supporters said the proposal would provide clearer, enforceable protections when vehicles are stopped or crews are conducting traffic control.

What’s next: The sponsor and legislative counsel will draft clarifying language to ensure occupants and other responders at a scene are covered; the committee did not take final action at the hearing.