CHAPTER 74 HOUSE BILL No. 2582 An Act relating to school buses; concerning head lamps; amending K.S.A. 8-1725 and K.S.A.
1999 Supp. 8-1730 and repealing the existing sections. Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Kansas:

      Section  1. K.S.A. 8-1725 is hereby amended to read as follows: 8-
1725. When a motor vehicle is being operated on a highway or shoulder
adjacent thereto during the times specified in K.S.A. 8-1703, and amend-
ments thereto, the driver shall use a distribution of light, or composite
beam, directed high enough and of sufficient intensity to reveal persons
and vehicles at a safe distance in advance of the vehicle, subject to the
following requirements and limitations:

      (a) When the driver of a vehicle approaches an oncoming vehicle
within 500 feet, such driver shall use a distribution of light, or composite
beam, so aimed that the glaring rays are not projected into the eyes of
the oncoming driver. The lowermost distribution of light, or composite
beam, specified in subsection (a)(2) of K.S.A. 8-1724, and amendments
thereto, or subsection (b)(2) of K.S.A. 8-1805, and amendments thereto,
shall be dimmed to avoid glare at all times, regardless of road contour
and loading.

      (b) When the driver of a vehicle approaches another vehicle from the
rear, within 300 feet, except when engaged in the act of overtaking and
passing, such driver shall use a distribution of light permissible under this
article other than the uppermost distribution of light specified in subsec-
tion (a)(1) of K.S.A. 8-1724, and amendments thereto, or subsection
(b)(1) of K.S.A. 8-1805, and amendments thereto.

      (c) The requirements in subsections (a) and (b) shall not apply to:

      (1) Authorized emergency vehicles displaying alternately flashing or
simultaneously flashing head lamps as provided in K.S.A. 8-1720, and
amendments thereto; or

      (2) school buses displaying alternately flashing or simultaneously
flashing head lamps as provided in K.S.A. 8-1730, and amendments
thereto.

      Sec.  2. K.S.A. 1999 Supp. 8-1730 is hereby amended to read as fol-
lows: 8-1730. (a) Every school bus, in addition to any other equipment
and distinctive markings required by this act, shall be equipped with signal
lamps mounted as high and as widely spaced laterally as practicable, which
shall display to the front two alternately flashing red lights located at the
same level and to the rear two alternately flashing red lights located at
the same level, and these lights shall be visible at 500 feet in normal
sunlight.

      (b) Any school bus, in addition to the lights required by subsection
(a), may be equipped with:

      (1) Yellow signal lamps mounted near each of the four red lamps and
at the same level but closer to the vertical centerline of the bus, which
shall display two alternately flashing yellow lights to the front and two
alternately flashing yellow lights to the rear, and these lights shall be
visible at 500 feet in normal sunlight. These lights shall be displayed by
the school bus driver at least 200 feet, but not more than 1,000 feet,
before every stop at which the alternately flashing red lights required by
subsection (a) will be actuated; or

      (2) head lamps which alternately flash on low beam or simultaneously
flash on low beam, except such head lamps shall only be activated during
daylight hours.

      (c) The state board of education is authorized to adopt rules and
regulations promulgating standards and specifications applicable to light-
ing equipment on and special warning devices to be carried by school
buses consistent with the provisions of this act. Such standards and spec-
ifications shall correlate with and so far as consistent with the provisions
of this act conform to the specifications then current as approved by the
society of automotive engineers.

      (d) The provisions of this section shall be subject to the provisions
contained in K.S.A. 8-2009a, and amendments thereto.

 Sec.  3. K.S.A. 8-1725 and K.S.A. 1999 Supp. 8-1730 are hereby re-
pealed.
 Sec.  4. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after its
publication in the Kansas register.

Approved April 6, 2000.
 Published in the Kansas Register April 20, 2000.
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