A bill to allow emergency vehicles to tint their front windows was brought to the floor and killed in the Virginia legislature over the past week. The bill was sponsored by Delegate Kim Taylor (R-Petersburg), who was surprised the non-partisan bill didn't receive any support from the opposition which controls the legislature.
"A couple of fire captains had tinted the windows in their fire trucks and EMS vehicles and were told that they needed to remove the tint," Taylor says. The tint was put there to keep emergency equipment and medicine cabinets cooler.
Delegate Kim Taylor of Virginia filed a bill to allow EMS vehicles to tint their front windows.
Virginia is a heavy hitter when it comes to the window film industry with Eastman Chemical Company's LLumar and SunTek manufacturing lines located in the city of Martinsville, which is also the headquarters of the International Window Film Association. There are hundreds of window tint shops located in the commonwealth as well as WINDOW FILM magazine, which is based in Fredericksburg.
Still, the bill failed. While it is usual procedure to allot time for comment on whether audience members support/oppose what was filed, this bill didn't get that chance, Taylor says.
"They didn't call on anyone in the audience to ask if they opposed or supported it. There was no reason for them to kill this bill," Taylor says. "The State Police were ready to testify and answer any technical questions."
Taylor says she may file the bill again during Virginia's next legislative session, which will be in early 2024.
This article is from Focus on Film, the weekly e-newsletter that covers the latest news regarding window film and related products, including paint protection film. Click HERE to sign up-there is no charge. Interested in a deeper dive? Free subscriptions to Window Film magazine in print or digital format are available. Subscribe at no charge HERE.
