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Panel approves technical changes to work‑zone automated enforcement pilot in House Bill 583
Summary
Committee members advanced an amended House Bill 583 establishing a limited automated speed‑enforcement pilot for work zones: $250 civil fines for speeds 10+ mph over the limit, no license points, and reporting to the legislature. The committee adopted procedural amendments governing hearings and appeals.
The Transportation, Utilities and Infrastructure committee heard a presentation on House Bill 583 and approved technical amendments before advancing the bill.
Representative K. explained the bill as a narrowly drawn pilot to increase worker safety in road work zones. Under the version discussed in committee, the pilot would be limited to a single interstate location in the state, become effective Oct. 1 (pilot operations), and authorize issuance of $250 civil tickets beginning Nov. 16 for drivers exceeding posted work‑zone speeds by more than 10 mph; fines would carry no driver‑license points and would be treated as civil infractions.
Industry and public‑safety considerations dominated the discussion. Lawmakers and witnesses debated camera capabilities, photo evidence of moving vehicles, and whether multiple vehicles in a lane could be reliably photographed. Representative Crawford asked how effectiveness would be measured; the sponsor said the legislature would receive a report (deadline cited as March 1, 2027) tracking crashes, injuries and citations.
The committee adopted amendments that added an administrative hearing process and an appeal route to circuit court under Code section 41‑22‑20 (as noted in the bill text). The amended language specified an informal hearing before a driver‑license hearing officer, and provided a 30‑day window to seek judicial review of a final administrative order.
Taylor Vice of Chart Nations (representing cable/broadband industry interests on other bills during the session) and the transportation director testified about enforcement realities and staffing constraints. The committee discussed operational rules for turning cameras on only when workers are present and for limiting enforcement to designated work‑zone directions.
Next steps: the bill’s amended language was adopted in committee; members asked for formal reporting from the administering agency on pilot outcomes.
