HF367 (Legislative Session 94 (2025-2026))

Action for damages for highway obstruction authorized, and civil penalties imposed.

Related bill: SF180

AI Generated Summary

The bill discussed aims to establish rules relating to public safety, specifically concerning highway obstructions. It proposes that anyone who intentionally interferes with, obstructs, or makes public highways dangerous can be held civilly liable. This means they can be sued for damages by those injured due to such actions and could be responsible for paying the injured person's legal fees and costs.

The bill also details a choice of legal routes for state agencies and political divisions: they can either pursue a civil case for damages or initiate criminal prosecution, but not both for the same incident. Additionally, it includes exemptions for certain groups such as law enforcement, emergency responders, and utility officials performing their official duties; these groups would not be held liable under this law for actions taken in the course of their job responsibilities.

In simple terms, this legislative bill is trying to hold individuals or entities accountable if they deliberately make public highways unsafe, offering a path to compensation for those harmed by such actions, while ensuring that emergency and essential services are not penalized for carrying out their official duties.

Bill text versions

Actions

DateChamberWhereTypeNameCommittee Name
February 12, 2025HouseFloorActionIntroduction and first reading, referred toPublic Safety Finance and Policy
February 18, 2025HouseFloorActionMotion to recall and re-refer, motion prevailedTransportation Finance and Policy
February 25, 2025HouseFloorActionAuthor added
March 02, 2025HouseFloorActionCommittee report, to adopt and re-refer toJudiciary Finance and Civil Law

Citations

 
[
  {
    "analysis": {
      "added": [
        "Integration with civil liability rules for highway obstruction."
      ],
      "removed": [],
      "summary": "This bill references section 609.74 concerning obstruction offenses.",
      "modified": [
        "Specifies the relationship with existing legal remedies under criminal law."
      ]
    },
    "citation": "609.74"
  }
]