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REFERENCE TITLE: HOV lane; blood transport vehicles |
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State of Arizona House of Representatives Fifty-seventh Legislature Second Regular Session 2026
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HB 2257 |
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Introduced by Representative Biasiucci
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AN ACT
Amending sections 28-337 and 28-737, Arizona Revised Statutes; relating to high OCCUPANCY vehicle lanes.
(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona:
Section 1. Section 28-337, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended to read:
28-337. High occupancy vehicle lane; lane degradation; priority use
A. In accordance with 23 United States Code section 166, the department shall develop procedures to monitor the impact that single occupancy vehicles authorized under sections 28-2416 and 28-2416.01 have on the operation of the high occupancy vehicle lanes.
B. If a high occupancy vehicle lane becomes degraded due to the authorization of single occupancy vehicles authorized under sections 28-2416 and 28-2416.01, use of the lane is restricted to the following vehicles in the following priority:
1. Passenger vehicles with two or more occupants, including the driver.
2. Public transit buses.
3. Buses with two or more occupants, including the driver.
4. Motorcycles.
5. Alternative fuel vehicles.
6. Low emission and energy efficient vehicles as defined in section 28-601.
7. Blood transport vehicles as defined in section 28-737.
C. The department shall limit the use of the high occupancy vehicle lanes to vehicles in the priority order prescribed in subsection B of this section and shall maintain those restrictions while the lane or portion of the lane remains degraded.
D. For the purposes of this section, a high occupancy vehicle lane is degraded if vehicles operating on the facility, or portions of the facility, are failing to maintain a speed of forty-five miles per hour or greater ninety per cent percent of the time over a consecutive one hundred eighty day eighty-day period during morning and evening weekday peak hour periods.
Sec. 2. Section 28-737, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended to read:
28-737. High occupancy vehicle lanes; exceptions; civil penalty; definitions
A. Except as provided in sections 28-2416 and 28-2416.01 and subsection B of this section, a person shall not drive a vehicle carrying fewer than two persons, including the driver, in a high occupancy vehicle lane at any time the use of the high occupancy vehicle lane is restricted to vehicles carrying two or more persons, including the driver.
B. Subsection A of this section does not apply to any of the following:
1. During the performance of a tow truck operator's duties, a tow truck operator driving a tow truck.
2. A person driving a motorcycle.
3. A person driving a public transportation vehicle.
4. An authorized emergency vehicle as defined in section 28-101 that is in use by a first responder in the line of duty.
5. A blood transport vehicle if the vehicle displays on each side and on the rear of the vehicle a removable decal or sign indicating that the vehicle is transporting human blood or blood products.
C. A person who violates subsection A of this section is subject to a civil penalty of two hundred dollars $200.
D. Notwithstanding section 28-1554, one hundred dollars $100 of each civil penalty collected pursuant to subsection C of this section shall be deposited in the state general fund.
E. For the purposes of this section: ,
1. "blood transport vehicle" MEANS a motor vehicle that is owned or OPERATED by a nonprofit general blood banking OPERATION, a nonprofit blood bank or a nonprofit blood bank's agent and that is transporting blood or blood products between collection points, HOSPITALS or blood storage centers.
2. "Public transportation vehicle" means any vehicle that provides a public entity's public transportation service and either:
1. (a) Is owned or operated by the public entity.
2. (b) Is operated under a contract with the public entity.