---
type: "Bill"
title: "VEH CD-SCHOOL BUS STROBE LAMP"
description: "Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. Provides that a strobe lamp on a school bus may be lighted at any time when the bus is being used as a school bus and is bearing one or more pupils (rather than only when the bus is stopped or moving very slowly under those circumstances). Effective immediately."
jurisdiction: "us/states/il"
legislature: "Illinois General Assembly"
session: "95th"
identifier: "HB 1238"
citation: "Illinois HB 1238 (95th)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: []
version_count: 3
action_count: 27
vote_count: 2
first_action: "2007-02-09"
last_action: "2007-08-21"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/fef78d98-c322-4b67-bee6-3c5ca6bbf4ad"
source_url: "http://ilga.gov/legislation/BillStatus.asp?DocNum=1238&GAID=9&DocTypeID=HB&LegId=29990&SessionID=51&GA=95"
source_hash: "3d4a24f6d7029356329bc91bc62dd5f38a44772bbb9c613371094eae97eb1a69"
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 1238 (95th) — VEH CD-SCHOOL BUS STROBE LAMP

Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. Provides that a strobe lamp on a school bus may be lighted at any time when the bus is being used as a school bus and is bearing one or more pupils (rather than only when the bus is stopped or moving very slowly under those circumstances). Effective immediately.

## 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=09500HB1238&GA=95&SessionId=51&DocTypeId=HB&LegID=29990&DocNum=1238&GAID=9&Session=&print=true)
2. **Engrossed** (committee substitute) — [source](http://ilga.gov/legislation/fulltext.asp?DocName=09500HB1238eng&GA=95&SessionId=51&DocTypeId=HB&LegID=29990&DocNum=1238&GAID=9&Session=&print=true)
3. **Enrolled** (enrolled) — [source](http://ilga.gov/legislation/fulltext.asp?DocName=09500HB1238enr&GA=95&SessionId=51&DocTypeId=HB&LegID=29990&DocNum=1238&GAID=9&Session=&print=true)

## Votes

- Third Reading — **114–0** (pass) · lower
- Third Reading — **54–0** (pass) · upper

## Sponsors

- Jim Watson — primary (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2007-02-09** Filed with the Clerk by Rep. Jim Watson `filing`
- **2007-02-15** First Reading `reading-1`
- **2007-02-15** Referred to Rules Committee `referral-committee`
- **2007-02-20** Assigned to Executive Committee `referral-committee`
- **2007-02-28** Re-assigned to Transportation and Motor Vehicles Committee `referral-committee`
- **2007-03-06** Do Pass / Short Debate Transportation and Motor Vehicles Committee; 017-000-000 `committee-passage`
- **2007-03-07** Placed on Calendar 2nd Reading - Short Debate
- **2007-03-13** Second Reading - Short Debate `reading-2`
- **2007-03-13** Placed on Calendar Order of 3rd Reading - Short Debate
- **2007-03-22** Third Reading - Short Debate - Passed 114-000-000 `reading-3, passage`
- **2007-03-22** Added Co-Sponsor Rep. William B. Black
- **2007-03-27** Arrive in Senate `introduction`
- **2007-03-27** Placed on Calendar Order of First Reading `reading-1`
- **2007-03-27** Chief Senate Sponsor Sen. Deanna Demuzio
- **2007-03-27** First Reading `reading-1`
- **2007-03-27** Referred to Rules `referral-committee`
- **2007-03-30** Assigned to Transportation `referral-committee`
- **2007-04-25** Do Pass Transportation; 009-000-000 `committee-passage`
- **2007-04-25** Placed on Calendar Order of 2nd Reading April 26, 2007
- **2007-05-03** Second Reading `reading-2`
- **2007-05-03** Placed on Calendar Order of 3rd Reading May 8, 2007
- **2007-05-24** Third Reading - Passed; 054-000-000 `reading-3, passage`
- **2007-05-24** Passed Both Houses
- **2007-06-22** Sent to the Governor `executive-receipt`
- **2007-08-21** Governor Approved `executive-signature`
- **2007-08-21** Effective Date August 21, 2007
- **2007-08-21** Public Act . . . . . . . . . 95-0319 `became-law`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/fef78d98-c322-4b67-bee6-3c5ca6bbf4ad`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Illinois legislature records).