Amended in Assembly March 16, 2016

California Legislature—2015–16 Regular Session

Assembly Bill No. 2224

Introduced by Assembly Member Achadjian

February 18, 2016

An act to amend Section 25258 of the Vehicle Code, relating to vehicles.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

AB 2224, as amended, Achadjian. Emergency vehicles: blue warning lights.

Under existing law, specified peace officers, including, but not limited to, police officers, members of the University of California Police Department, and members of the California National Guard, begin delete are authorized to end delete begin insert may, in the performance of the officers’ duties, end insert display a specified blue warning light on their emergency vehicles.

This bill begin insert additionally end insert would authorize begin delete additional peace officers, including, but not limited to, parole officers and correctional officers, end delete begin insert probation officers, in the performance of their duties, end insert to display a specified blue warning light on their emergency vehicles. begin insert The bill would require a probation officer to complete an emergency vehicle operations course certified by the Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training before he or she may operate a vehicle with a blue warning light. end insert

Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee:  begin delete yes end delete begin insert no end insert . State-mandated local program: no.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.  

Section 25258 of the Vehicle Code is amended
to read:

25258.  

(a) An authorized emergency vehicle operating under
the conditions specified in Section 21055 may display a flashing
white light from a gaseous discharge lamp designed and used for
the purpose of controlling official traffic control signals.

(b)  begin insert (1) end insert begin insert   end insert An authorized emergency vehicle used by a begin insert probation
officer, or a end insert peace officer, as defined in Section 830.1 of,
subdivision (a), (b), (c), (d), (e), (f), (g), or (i) of Section 830.2 of,
subdivision (n) of Section 830.3 of, subdivision (b) of Section
830.31 of, subdivision (a) or (b) of Section 830.32 of, Section
830.33 of, subdivision (a) of Section 830.36 of, subdivision (a) of
Section 830.4 of, begin delete Section 830.5 of, end delete or Section 830.6 of, the Penal
Code, in the performance of the begin delete peace end delete officer’s duties, may, in
addition, display a steady or flashing blue warning light visible
from the front, sides, or rear of the vehicle.

begin insert

(2) Before a probation officer operates a vehicle with a blue
warning light, he or she shall complete an emergency vehicle
operations course certified by the Commission on Peace Officer
Standards and Training.

end insert

(c) Except as provided in subdivision (a), a vehicle shall not be
equipped with a device that emits any illumination or radiation
that is designed or used for the purpose of controlling official
traffic control signals.