PRINTER'S NO. 1492
No. 1275 Session of 2001
INTRODUCED BY READSHAW, WOGAN, BARD, BELARDI, BARRAR,
CALTAGIRONE, CASORIO, COLEMAN, COY, FRANKEL, HENNESSEY,
LAUGHLIN, LEDERER, MARKOSEK, MAYERNIK, McILHATTAN, MUNDY,
PISTELLA, PRESTON, SHANER, STEELMAN, T. STEVENSON, J. TAYLOR,
THOMAS, WALKO, WOJNAROSKI, WRIGHT, YOUNGBLOOD, TRELLO,
BELFANTI, CAPPABIANCA, CAWLEY, CRUZ, FLEAGLE, GEORGE AND
KELLER, APRIL 4, 2001
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON JUDICIARY, APRIL 4, 2001
AN ACT
1 Amending Titles 18 (Crimes and Offenses) and 75 (Vehicles) of
2 the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, prohibiting the
3 impersonation of a public servant by use of a motor vehicle;
4 and further providing for visual and audible signals on
5 emergency vehicles.
6 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
7 hereby enacts as follows:
8 Section 1. Title 18 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated
9 Statutes is amended by adding a section to read:
10 § 4912.1. Impersonating a public servant by use of a motor
11 vehicle.
12 (a) Offense defined.--A person commits an offense if he
13 knowingly displays or uses a revolving or flashing red or red
14 and blue emergency light or lights on or within a motor vehicle,
15 without legal authorization or approval to possess such lights,
16 to stop or attempt to stop another motor vehicle based on
17 pretended official authority.
1 (b) Grading.--The offense is a felony of the first degree if
2 the actor employs force or violence or attempts or threatens to
3 employ force or violence upon the person or persons riding in
4 the motor vehicle stopped, otherwise, the offense is a felony of
5 the third degree.
6 Section 2. Section 4571(b) of Title 75 is amended and the
7 section is amended by adding a subsection to read:
8 § 4571. Visual and audible signals on emergency vehicles.
9 * * *
10 (b) Police, sheriff, fire and coroner or medical examiner
11 vehicles.--
12 (1) [Police, sheriff, coroner, medical examiner or fire
13 police vehicles may in addition to the requirements of
14 subsection (a) be equipped with revolving or flashing blue
15 lights. The combination of red and blue lights may be used
16 only on police, sheriff, coroner, medical examiner or fire
17 police vehicles.] Police vehicles may in addition to the
18 requirements of subsection (a) be equipped with revolving or
19 flashing blue lights. The combination of red and blue lights
20 shall be used only on police vehicles. Sheriff, coroner,
21 medical examiner or fire police vehicles may be equipped with
22 red lights. The combination of red and blue lights shall not
23 be used on sheriff, coroner, medical examiner or fire police
24 vehicles.
25 (2) Unmarked police and sheriff vehicles, used as
26 emergency vehicles and equipped with audible warning systems,
27 may be equipped with the lights described in this section.
28 (3) Police, sheriff and fire vehicles may be equipped
29 with a mounted rack containing one or more emergency warning
30 lights or side mounted floodlights or alley lights or all
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1 such lights.
2 * * *
3 (g) Violation.--A person commits a summary offense if he
4 possesses revolving or flashing red and blue emergency light or
5 lights on or within a motor vehicle without legal authorization
6 or authority to possess such light or lights.
7 Section 3. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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