Police chiefs praise new House bill to regulate traffic cameras
by Kathie Obradovich, Iowa Capital Dispatch
March 20, 2024
Representatives of Iowa law enforcement on Wednesday praised an Iowa House bill to regulate traffic cameras, offered as an alternative to legislation to ban use of the devices to issue speeding tickets.
House Study Bill 740 advanced out of a three-member subcommittee with unanimous support. It moves next to the House Ways and Means Committee.
Cedar Rapids Police Chief David Dostal, whose city was the first to use traffic cameras, said the regulatory structure creates a reliable, standardized process, “which I think is great for the program.”
The bill would require cities and counties to apply to the Iowa Department of Transportation for permission to install a speed camera and justify the location with data showing a high volume of crashes. The DOT is prohibited from installing traffic cameras and local departments can appeal the denial of a traffic camera location.
The city or county would have to report back to the DOT on the number of citations issued and any change in crash volume to justify the continued need for a camera at the site.
“I appreciate having this conversation about a regulatory bill. It’s long overdue,” Des Moines Police Chief Dana Wingert said. “There are jurisdictions out there that are doing it the right way. Some that are not.”
Wingert also suggested standardization of fines across the state so that Iowa drivers know what to expect.
Altoona Police Chief Greg Stallman, representing the Iowa Police Chiefs Association, suggested including red-light cameras, which are not currently addressed in the bill, and also requiring a public information program to take place before cameras are used to issue warnings.
Unlike a similar Senate bill, the House bill does not specify how local governments must handle revenues from traffic tickets. Senate File 2337 would require communities to give up a share of revenues to the state for road maintenance and law enforcement training. The money communities would be allowed to keep would go toward an award program for volunteer firefighters and emergency medical personnel.
The Senate bill also would ban traffic cameras for communities under 20,000 in population and specified under what circumstances fines could be issued by larger communities.
The Senate bill passed a committee in mid-February but did not advance ahead of the “funnel” deadline. It remains eligible on the chambers unfinished business calendar.
“We’ll go ahead and marry language with the Senate. Conversations will go on,” subcommittee chair Rep. Phil Thompson, R-Boone, said.
Both chambers also introduced legislation this year that combined a traffic camera ban with another controversial bill that would ban the use of hand-held phones or other devices behind the wheel. Senate File 2337 is on unfinished business in the Senate. A similar House bill failed to advance.
Iowa Capital Dispatch is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Iowa Capital Dispatch maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Kathie Obradovich for questions: info@iowacapitaldispatch.com. Follow Iowa Capital Dispatch on Facebook and Twitter.
