HF 904 — A bill for an act relating to motor vehicle accident reports, including the amount of property damage necessary for a report, the period in which a law enforcement officer must forward a report to the department of transportation, and resulting suspensions of driver’s licenses, registrations, and operating privileges.

House File 904 - IntroducedReprinted HOUSE FILE 904 BY COMMITTEE ON LOCAL GOVERNMENT (SUCCESSOR TO HSB 297) (As Amended and Passed by the House March 25, 2025) A BILL FOR An Act relating to motor vehicle accident reports, including the amount of property damage necessary for a reportreport, and the period in which a law enforcement officer must forward a report to the department of transportation.transportation, and resulting suspensions of driver’s licenses, registrations, and operating privileges.

TLSBHF 2921HV904 (1)(2) 91 th/nsth/ns/md H.F.

The driver of a vehicle involved in an accident resulting in injury to or death of any person, or total property damage to an apparent extent of one sevenfive thousand five hundred dollars or more, shall, within seventy-two hours after the accident, forward a written report of the accident to the department within seventy-two hours after the accident.accident .

EXPLANATIONSec. The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly.

Under2. current law, the driver of a vehicle involved in an accident resulting in injury to or death of any person, or total property damage to an apparent extent of $1,500 or more, must forward a written report of the accident to the department of transportation (DOT) within 72 hours after the accident.

However,Section such321A.5, reportsubsection is1, notCode required2025, when the accident is investigatedamended byto aread lawas enforcementfollows: agency.

Every1. law enforcement officer who investigates a motor vehicle accident for which a report must be made is required to, within 24 hours after completing such investigation, forward a written report of such accident to the DOT.

ThisThe billdepartment increasesshall, immediately or within sixty days after the minimumreceipt amountof a report of totala motor vehicle accident within this state which has resulted in bodily injury or death to any person, or property damage necessaryto beforethe anproperty accidentof reportany one person in the amount of one five thousand five hundred dollars or more, suspend the license of each operator and all registrations of each owner of a motor vehicle in any manner involved in the accident, and if the operator is requireda fromnonresident $1,500the privilege of operating a motor vehicle within this state, and if the owner is a nonresident the privilege of the use within this state of any motor vehicle owned by the owner, unless the operator or owner or both shall deposit security in a sum which shall be sufficient in the judgment of the department to $7,500.satisfy any judgment or judgments for damages resulting from the accident as may be recovered against the operator or owner;

Theprovided billnotice strikesof the 24-hoursuspension requirementshall forbe aHF law904 enforcement(2) officer who investigated an accident to LSB 2921HV (1) 91 -1- th/nsth/ns/md 1/2 H.F.

904 forwardsent aby writtenthe reportdepartment to the DOT.operator and owner not less than ten days prior to the effective date of the suspension and shall state the amount required as security.

BySec. operation of law, a driver of a vehicle who strikes fixtures upon a highway is not required to report the accident to the DOT unless the apparent total property damage is $7,500 or more.

A3. driver involved in such an accident is required to take reasonable steps to locate and notify the owner, a peace officer, or person in charge of the damaged property and provide the driver’s name and address, the registration number of the vehicle causing the damage, and, upon request and if available, exhibit the person’s driver’s license.

TheSection bill321I.11, doesCode not2025, amend similar reporting requirements when a person is inamended anto accidentread involvingas afollows: snowmobile (Code section 321G.10) or all-terrain vehicle (Code section 321I.11) that causes total property damage of $1,500 or more.

Such321I.11 reportsAccident mustreports. be filed with the DOT or the natural resource commission (NRC) if the accident occurred on public land, ice, or a designated riding trail under the jurisdiction of the NRC.

ByIf operationan ofall-terrain law,vehicle ais personinvolved whoin failsan toaccident forwardresulting ain writteninjury accidentor reportdeath to theanyone DOT,any asperson, requiredor underproperty Codedamage sectionamounting 321.266(2)to orone (3),five commitsthousand afive simplehundred misdemeanordollars punishableor bymore, confinementeither forthe nooperator moreor thansomeone 30acting daysfor andthe aoperator fineshall ofimmediately atnotify leastthe $105county butsheriff notor moreanother thanlaw $855.enforcement agency in the state.

LSBIf 2921HVthe (1)accident 91occurred -2-on th/nspublic 2/2land, public ice, or a designated riding trail under the jurisdiction of the commission, the operator shall file with the commission a report of the accident, within seventy-two hours, containing information as the commission may require.

All other accidents shall be reported as required under section 321.266.

HF 904 (2) 91 -2- th/ns/md 2/2