Pennsylvania SB 185: An Act amending Title 75 (Vehicles) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in lighting equipment, further providing for general lighting requirements.

Bill Text

PRIOR PRINTER'S NO. 123 PRINTER'S NO. 487
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
SENATE BILL
No. 185
Session of
2025
INTRODUCED BY HUTCHINSON, LANGERHOLC, STEFANO, ARGALL, CULVER,
ROBINSON, DUSH AND FLYNN, JANUARY 24, 2025
SENATOR J. WARD, TRANSPORTATION, AS AMENDED, MARCH 26, 2025
AN ACT
Amending Title 75 (Vehicles) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated
Statutes, in lighting equipment, further providing for
general lighting requirements.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Section 4303 of Title 75 of the Pennsylvania
Consolidated Statutes is amended by adding a subsection to read:
§ 4303. General lighting requirements.
* * *
(b.1) Rear lighting retrofit.--A vehicle, other than a motor
carrier vehicle, with a gross vehicle weight of 14,000 pounds or
less may be operated on a highway with an ornamental lamp bar or
auxiliary lighting strip in combination with the stop lamps of
the vehicle's rear lighting system, to which the following shall
apply:
(1) The ornamental lamp bar or auxiliary lighting strip
shall be the same color as the vehicle's stop lamps and may
contain light-emitting diode bulbs.
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(2) The ornamental lamp bar or auxiliary lighting strip
shall be in safe operating condition and in conformance with
regulations of the department.
(B.1) REAR LIGHTING RETROFIT.--
(1) A VEHICLE, OTHER THAN A MOTOR CARRIER VEHICLE, WITH
A GROSS VEHICLE WEIGHT OF 14,000 POUNDS OR LESS MAY BE
OPERATED ON A HIGHWAY WITH AN ORNAMENTAL LAMP BAR OR
AUXILIARY LIGHTING STRIP IN COMBINATION WITH THE STOP LAMPS
OF THE VEHICLE'S REAR LIGHTING SYSTEM, TO WHICH THE FOLLOWING
SHALL APPLY:
(I) THE ORNAMENTAL LAMP BAR OR AUXILIARY LIGHTING
STRIP SHALL BE:
(A) THE SAME COLOR AND SIMILAR ILLUMINATION AS
THE VEHICLE'S STOP LAMPS.
(B) IN SAFE OPERATING CONDITION.
(C) HORIZONTALLY MOUNTED ON THE REAR OF THE
VEHICLE. IF A VEHICLE IS EQUIPPED WITH A SPARE TIRE
ON THE REAR EXTERIOR ON THE VEHICLE, LIGHTING
EQUIPMENT THAT IS MOUNTED WITHIN THE INNER WHEEL
SHALL NOT PROTRUDE OUTSIDE OF THE WHEEL AT ANY POINT,
OPERATE IN COMBINATION WITH THE STOP LAMPS AND COMPLY
WITH ALL REQUIREMENTS OF THIS SUBSECTION.
(II) THE ORNAMENTAL LAMP BAR OR AUXILIARY LIGHTING
STRIP MAY:
(A) CONTAIN LIGHT-EMITTING DIODE BULBS.
(B) OPERATE WITH A VEHICLE'S TURN SIGNAL.
(III) THE ORNAMENTAL LAMP BAR OR AUXILIARY LIGHTING
STRIP MAY NOT FEATURE FLASHING OR REVOLVING LIGHTS,
UNLESS THE ORNAMENTAL LAMP BAR OR AUXILIARY STRIP IS USED
IN CONJUNCTION WITH A VEHICLE'S TURN SIGNAL.
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(IV) A VEHICLE MAY NOT HAVE MORE THAN ONE ORNAMENTAL
LAMP BAR OR AUXILIARY LIGHTING STRIP EQUIPPED.
(2) THIS SUBSECTION SHALL NOT APPLY TO A VEHICLE WITH
ORIGINAL REAR LIGHTING EQUIPMENT FROM A MANUFACTURER THAT IS
CONSISTENT WITH AN ORNAMENTAL LAMP BAR OR AUXILIARY LIGHTING
STRIP.
(3) AS USED IN THIS SUBSECTION, THE TERM "ORNAMENTAL
LAMP BAR OR AUXILIARY LIGHTING STRIP" SHALL MEAN NONORIGINAL
EQUIPMENT FROM A MANUFACTURER, NON-BATTERY-POWERED LIGHTING
EQUIPMENT THAT IS NO LONGER THAN 60 INCHES IN LENGTH, NO
WIDER THAN 2 INCHES, NO DEEPER THAN ONE INCH AND IS
HORIZONTALLY MOUNTED TO THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE, UNLESS
OTHERWISE SPECIFIED IN THIS SUBSECTION.
* * *
Section 2. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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