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An Act To Allow an Attorney Responding to an Incident that Involved the Use of Deadly Force To Use Emergency Lights on a Vehicle
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  29-A MRSA §2054, sub-§1, ¶C-1  is enacted to read:
 
C-1.  "Critical incident response vehicle" means a vehicle operated by an attorney directly involved in and responding to an incident involving the use of deadly force by a law enforcement officer.
Sec. 2. 29-A MRSA §2054, sub-§2, ¶D, as amended by PL 2005, c. 183, §2, is further amended to read:
 
D. Except as provided in this paragraph, a vehicle may not be equipped with or display a blue light.
 
(1) A critical incident response vehicle may use emergency lights that emit a blue light or a combination of blue and white light. Emergency lights used on the following vehicles must emit a blue light or a combination of blue and white light: a police vehicle; a Department of Corrections vehicle as described in subsection 1, paragraph B, subparagraph (6); a vehicle operated by a chief of police, a sheriff or a deputy sheriff; and a vehicle operated by a qualified deputy sheriff or other qualified individual performing court security-related functions and services.
 
(2) Emergency lights used on an ambulance, an emergency medical service vehicle, a fire department vehicle or a hazardous material response vehicle may include one blue light mounted facing toward the rear of the vehicle so that the light is primarily visible to approaching traffic from the rear only.
 
(3) The taillight of a vehicle, or replica of a vehicle, manufactured prior to 1952 and registered under section 457, may contain a blue or purple insert of not more than one inch in diameter.
 
(4) Blue interior auxiliary lighting or dash lighting may be used on any vehicle if no portion of the beam of light is visible at a height of 42 inches above a surface parallel with the level surface on which the vehicle stands at a distance of 20 feet from any part of the vehicle.
Sec. 3. 29-A MRSA §2054, sub-§3, as enacted by PL 1993, c. 683, Pt. A, §2 and affected by Pt. B, §5, is amended to read:
 
3. Sirens.   A bell or siren may not be installed or used on any vehicle, except an authorized emergency vehicle or a critical incident response vehicle.
Sec. 4. 29-A MRSA §2054, sub-§6, as enacted by PL 1993, c. 683, Pt. A, §2 and affected by Pt. B, §5, is amended to read:
 
6. Emergency lights and audible signals.   The operator of an authorized emergency vehicle who is exercising the privileges granted under subsection 5 shall use an emergency light authorized by subsection 2. The operator of an authorized emergency vehicle who is exercising the privileges granted under subsection 5, paragraphs B, C, D and E shall sound a bell or siren when reasonably necessary to warn pedestrians and other operators of the emergency vehicle's approach. The operator of a critical incident response vehicle may use emergency lights authorized by subsection 2, paragraph D and may sound a bell or siren to warn pedestrians and other operators of the critical incident response vehicle's approach.
 
SUMMARY
This bill allows a vehicle operated by an attorney directly involved in and responding to an incident involving the use of deadly force by a law enforcement officer to use a blue light or a combination of blue and white lights and a siren.