An Act to amend 347.25 (1m) (b) of the statutes; Relating to: requirements for lighting on police vehicles.
Summary
SB159 would change Wisconsin law governing warning lights on police vehicles. Under current law, marked police vehicles may use flashing, oscillating, or rotating blue and red lights, with the blue light on the passenger side and the red light on the driver side. The bill keeps that basic color-and-side arrangement but updates the placement rules for marked police vehicles with exterior light bars or interior lights, specifying that blue lights must be on the passenger side roof or interior and red lights on the driver side roof or interior.
The bill also expressly allows additional blue and red lights to be mounted on the front, sides, or rear of a marked police vehicle, so long as the vehicle already has the required roof or interior lights. It leaves in place the existing visibility standard and the limits on when warning lights may be used, such as during emergency responses, pursuits, fire alarm responses, hazardous roadside parking, or other authorized situations.
Impact
If enacted, SB159 would amend s. 347.25 (1m) (b) of the Wisconsin statutes, refining equipment and display requirements for police vehicle warning lights. The practical effect would be to give law enforcement agencies clearer flexibility in outfitting marked vehicles with light bars or interior lighting while preserving the traditional blue-on-passenger-side and red-on-driver-side configuration. The bill would affect police departments, vehicle upfitters, and officers operating marked and unmarked police vehicles, but it would not change the underlying circumstances under which warning lights may be used.
Sentiment
The available record shows little overt controversy or debate around the bill. The measure was introduced with multiple Senate and Assembly cosponsors, and the only recorded later action was an additional cosponsor being added, which suggests at least some bipartisan or broad legislative interest. Because there are no committee transcripts or recorded votes in the provided material, the overall sentiment appears neutral to favorable, with the bill presented as a technical clarification rather than a major policy change.
Contention
No specific points of contention are documented in the provided materials. Any potential concerns would likely center on whether the bill’s expanded allowance for additional front, side, or rear lighting could create confusion, affect uniformity, or alter visibility expectations for police vehicles. Supporters would likely view the bill as a modernization and clarification of equipment standards, while any skeptics might focus on implementation details for marked versus unmarked vehicles and the need to preserve clear, recognizable emergency lighting patterns.