AUTOMATED TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT (Sections 302.335 and 304.288)

This act requires that motorists charged with traffic violations shall receive, within twenty-four hours of the violation, in-person notification from a law enforcement officer employed by the agency issuing the citation. This requirement does not apply to parking tickets, leaving the scene of an accident, incidents requiring further investigation, or any other situation in which in-person notification is not possible.

This act prohibits the use of automated traffic enforcement systems to establish evidence a motor vehicle or its operator has committed a traffic-related offense, or to impose or collect any civil or criminal fine, fee, or penalty for such offense.

State agencies and political subdivisions with automated traffic enforcement installation or maintenance contracts existing on the effective date of this act shall complete or terminate the contracts no later than one year after the effective date of this act, and thereafter shall comply with the other provisions. This act exempts data and information recorded at weigh stations managed by MODOT or the Missouri State Highway Patrol, and provides that no county, city, town, village, municipality, state agency, or political subdivision shall be exempt from the evidentiary restrictions and contract termination provisions of this act except by express reference to or modification of the relevant section of this act.

These provisions are substantially similar to SB 315 (2017), HB 1945 (2016), and HB 234 (2015), and similar to provisions in HCS/HB 380 (2017).

AGRICULTURAL MACHINERY AND IMPLEMENTS ON STATE HIGHWAYS (Section 304.170)

This act provides that agricultural machinery and implements may be operated on state highways between the hours of sunset and sunrise for agricultural purposes provided such vehicles are equipped with lighting meeting the requirements of section 307.115.

This provision is identical to HB 1224 (2017), and to provisions in CCS/SB 8 (2017), CCS/SB 222 (2017), and the Perfected HB 824 (2017).

SCHEDULE OF FINES FOR POLITICAL SUBDIVISIONS (Section 476.385)

This act requires the associate circuit judges of each county to meet en banc and establish a schedule of fines. The judges shall choose to either participate in the centralized fine bureau established by Supreme Court Rule or have violations heard in circuit court by associate circuit judges. Fines included in the schedule of fines shall not be increased, and political subdivisions are prohibited from establishing any traffic offense not on the schedule of fines.

These provisions are similar to a provision in HB 1749 (2016).

ERIC VANDER WEERD