State of Illinois
91^st General Assembly
Public Acts

Public Act 91-0168

SB987 Enrolled                                LRB9100136KSgcA

    AN ACT to amend the Illinois  Vehicle  Code  by  changing
Section 12-815 and adding Section 12-815.1.

    Be  it  enacted  by  the People of the State of Illinois,
represented in the General Assembly:

    Section 5.  The  Illinois  Vehicle  Code  is  amended  by
changing  Section  12-815  and  adding  Section  12-815.1  as
follows:

    (625 ILCS 5/12-815) (from Ch. 95 1/2, par. 12-815)
    Sec. 12-815. Strobe lamp on school bus.
    (a)  A  school  bus purchased prior to the effective date
of this amendatory Act of the 91st General  Assembly  may  be
equipped  with  one  strobe  lamp  that  will  emit 60 to 120
flashes per minute of white or bluish-white light visible  to
a  motorist  approaching the bus from any direction. A school
bus  purchased  on  or  after  the  effective  date  of  this
amendatory Act of the 91st General Assembly shall be equipped
with one strobe lamp that will emit 60  to  120  flashes  per
minute  of  white or bluish-white light visible to a motorist
approaching the bus from any direction.  The lamp shall be of
sufficient brightness to be visible in normal  sunlight  when
viewed directly from a distance of at least one mile.
    (b)  The  strobe  lamp shall be mounted on the rooftop of
the bus with the light generating element in the lamp located
equidistant from each side and either at or behind the center
of the rooftop.  The maximum height of the element above  the
rooftop  shall  not exceed 1/30 of its distance from the rear
of the rooftop.  If the structure of the strobe lamp obscures
the light generating element, the element shall be deemed  to
be  in  the center of the lamp with a maximum height 1/4 inch
less than the  maximum  height  of  the  strobe  lamp  unless
otherwise  indicated  in rules and regulations promulgated by
the Department.  The  Department  may  promulgate  rules  and
regulations  to govern measurements, glare, effectiveness and
protection of strobe lamps on school buses, including  higher
strobe lamps than authorized in this paragraph.
    (c)  The  strobe lamp may be lighted only when the school
bus is actually being used as a school bus and:
         1.  is  stopping   or   stopped   for   loading   or
    discharging pupils on a highway outside an urban area; or
         2.  is  bearing  one  or  more  pupils and is either
    stopped or, in the interest of  safety,  is  moving  very
    slowly at a speed:
              (i)  less  than the posted minimum speed limit,
         or
              (ii)  less than 30 miles per hour on a  highway
         outside an urban area.
(Source: P.A. 87-768.)

    (625 ILCS 5/12-815.1 new)
    Sec.  12-815.1.  Emergency  exits identification.  On and
after June 1, 2000, all emergency exits of a school bus shall
be outlined around the perimeter of the exit with  a  minimum
one  inch  wide yellow reflective tape or decal.  This yellow
reflective tape or decal shall  be  placed  on  the  exterior
surface of the school bus.

    Section  99.   Effective  date.   This  Act  takes effect
January 1, 2000.