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Bill Summary · HB 5766

Summary — HB 5766

Title: AN ACT INCREASING THE PENALTY FOR SUBSEQUENT OFFENSES OF PARKING IN FRONT OF A FIRE HYDRANT
Bill No.: HB 5766 (File No. 451) — Introduced January 21, 2025
Subjects: Fines/penalties, parking, traffic violations, fire hydrants, highways, traffic signs/signals

Purpose

HB 5766 seeks to strengthen enforcement against motorists who park in front of fire hydrants by increasing the penalty for repeat (subsequent) offenses. The bill’s intent is to improve public safety and emergency access by deterring repeat hydrant-blocking parking violations.

Key provisions

  • Raises the penalty for a subsequent offense of parking in front of a fire hydrant. (Bill text not provided here; the specific increase in fine or other sanction is not available in the materials supplied.)
  • Applies to repeat violations (i.e., an individual or vehicle that has committed a prior hydrant-parking infraction). The bill targets escalation of penalties rather than initial infractions.
  • Preserves the classification of the conduct as a traffic/parking infraction handled administratively or in the traffic enforcement process (not recodified as a misdemeanor or felony).

Note: The legislative packet provided does not include the bill’s statutory amendments or exact dollar amounts/timeframes that define a “subsequent” offense; those details would be in the full bill text or substitute.

Who is affected

  • Motorists/drivers: drivers who park at or block fire hydrants, especially repeat offenders, would face higher penalties.
  • Municipalities and local traffic enforcement agencies: responsibility for issuing citations and collecting increased fines; potential changes in enforcement priorities.
  • Fire departments/emergency responders: likely to benefit from improved hydrant access if the measure deters repeat offenders.
  • Courts/administrative adjudication bodies: may process changes in infraction appeals or collections.

Procedural status and timeline

  • Introduced: 2025-01-21; referred to Joint Committee on Transportation (01/21/25)
  • Public hearing: 2025-02-06
  • Joint Favorable Substitute: 2025-03-12
  • Filed with LCO: 2025-03-17
  • Referred to Office of Legislative Research & Office of Fiscal Analysis: 2025-03-27
  • Reported out of LCO / Favorable Report: 2025-04-02 — Tabled for House Calendar (House Calendar No. 281) — File No. 451

Next steps: Awaiting consideration on the House floor (appears on the House calendar). If passed by the House, the bill would proceed to the Senate and, if enacted, to the governor for signature. The effective date is not specified in available materials.

Potential impacts and considerations

  • Public safety: intended to improve emergency access to hydrants and reduce response delays.
  • Revenue: likely to increase fine revenue for municipalities or the state, depending on distribution rules.
  • Enforcement: may encourage more targeted enforcement of repeat violators; could increase administrative workload for citation tracking and collections.
  • Equity and notice: impacts on low-income drivers and the importance of clear notice/signage and defined timeframes for what constitutes a “subsequent” offense should be considered.

For exact penalty amounts, the statutory language that defines “subsequent offense,” and fiscal impacts, consult the bill text and the Office of Fiscal Analysis report when available.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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