---
type: "Bill"
title: "VEH CD-RED LIGHTS-FIRE CHIEFS"
description: "Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. Provides that a fire chief may drive a vehicle using red or white oscillating, rotating, or flashing lights if the vehicle is designated or authorized as a fire department, fire protection district, or township fire department vehicle and the designation or authorization is carried in the vehicle."
jurisdiction: "us/states/il"
legislature: "Illinois General Assembly"
session: "94th"
identifier: "HB 996"
citation: "Illinois HB 996 (94th)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: []
version_count: 3
action_count: 30
vote_count: 2
first_action: "2005-02-03"
last_action: "2005-07-08"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/cb59ad98-d8d4-4182-a1e0-d38f5e62576f"
source_url: "http://ilga.gov/legislation/BillStatus.asp?DocNum=996&GAID=8&DocTypeID=HB&LegId=15663&SessionID=50&GA=94"
source_hash: "90dbed7708ad7759160a8c4e9cc284927c1c58966ad2bd65c1f664baac451e69"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-il"]
---

# Illinois HB 996 (94th) — VEH CD-RED LIGHTS-FIRE CHIEFS

Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. Provides that a fire chief may drive a vehicle using red or white oscillating, rotating, or flashing lights if the vehicle is designated or authorized as a fire department, fire protection district, or township fire department vehicle and the designation or authorization is carried in the vehicle.

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **Introduced** (filed) — [source](http://ilga.gov/legislation/fulltext.asp?DocName=09400HB0996&GA=94&SessionId=50&DocTypeId=HB&LegID=15663&DocNum=996&GAID=8&Session=&print=true)
2. **Engrossed** (committee substitute) — [source](http://ilga.gov/legislation/fulltext.asp?DocName=09400HB0996eng&GA=94&SessionId=50&DocTypeId=HB&LegID=15663&DocNum=996&GAID=8&Session=&print=true)
3. **Enrolled** (enrolled) — [source](http://ilga.gov/legislation/fulltext.asp?DocName=09400HB0996enr&GA=94&SessionId=50&DocTypeId=HB&LegID=15663&DocNum=996&GAID=8&Session=&print=true)

## Votes

- Third Reading — **59–0** (pass) · upper
- Third Reading — **116–1** (pass) · lower

## Sponsors

- Mike Boland — primary (person)

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2005-02-03** Filed with the Clerk by Rep. Mike Boland `filing`
- **2005-02-03** First Reading `reading-1`
- **2005-02-03** Referred to Rules Committee `referral-committee`
- **2005-02-08** Assigned to Transportation and Motor Vehicles Committee `referral-committee`
- **2005-03-01** House Committee Amendment No. 1 Filed with Clerk by Transportation and Motor Vehicles Committee `amendment-introduction`
- **2005-03-01** House Committee Amendment No. 1 Adopted in Transportation and Motor Vehicles Committee; by Voice Vote `amendment-passage`
- **2005-03-01** Do Pass as Amended / Short Debate Transportation and Motor Vehicles Committee; 024-000-000 `committee-passage`
- **2005-03-02** Placed on Calendar 2nd Reading - Short Debate
- **2005-03-03** Second Reading - Short Debate `reading-2`
- **2005-03-03** Placed on Calendar Order of 3rd Reading - Short Debate
- **2005-03-09** Added Chief Co-Sponsor Rep. Donald L. Moffitt
- **2005-03-15** Added Chief Co-Sponsor Rep. Thomas Holbrook
- **2005-03-15** Third Reading - Short Debate - Passed 116-001-000 `reading-3, passage`
- **2005-03-15** Added Chief Co-Sponsor Rep. Michael K. Smith
- **2005-03-16** Arrive in Senate `introduction`
- **2005-03-16** Placed on Calendar Order of First Reading March 17, 2005 `reading-1`
- **2005-03-17** Chief Senate Sponsor Sen. Debbie DeFrancesco Halvorson
- **2005-03-17** First Reading `reading-1`
- **2005-03-17** Referred to Rules `referral-committee`
- **2005-04-13** Assigned to Transportation `referral-committee`
- **2005-04-20** Do Pass Transportation; 007-000-000 `committee-passage`
- **2005-04-20** Placed on Calendar Order of 2nd Reading April 21, 2005
- **2005-05-10** Second Reading `reading-2`
- **2005-05-10** Placed on Calendar Order of 3rd Reading May 11, 2005
- **2005-05-11** Third Reading - Passed; 059-000-000 `reading-3, passage`
- **2005-05-11** Passed Both Houses
- **2005-06-09** Sent to the Governor `executive-receipt`
- **2005-07-08** Governor Approved `executive-signature`
- **2005-07-08** Effective Date January 1, 2006
- **2005-07-08** Public Act . . . . . . . . . 94-0143 `became-law`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/cb59ad98-d8d4-4182-a1e0-d38f5e62576f`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Illinois legislature records).