Sub. S.B. No. 97 Summary

• Allows emergency personnel in public safety vehicles to report license plate numbers and vehicle/operator descriptions to law enforcement when a driver fails to yield the right-of-way and impedes emergency response.

• Emergency personnel may also report other apparent traffic law violations occurring at the same time as the failure to yield.

• Establishes a two-step enforcement process: first offense results in a written warning; subsequent violations are charged as minor misdemeanors with a $150 fine if the operator's identity is established and they previously received a written warning.

• Requires law enforcement to investigate reported violations to establish the operator's identity and notify the registrar of motor vehicles when written warnings are issued.

• For unidentified operators or other traffic violations, law enforcement may issue a written warning to the vehicle owner or, for leased/rented vehicles, to the person who leased or rented the vehicle.