SENATE
HOUSE
JOINT
BILL STATUS
STATE LAW
REPORTS
EDUCATIONAL
CONTACT
home
home
Introduced Version Senate Bill 434 History

OTHER VERSIONS  -  Committee Substitute (1)  |  Enrolled Version - Final Version  |     |  Email
Key: Green = existing Code. Red = new code to be enacted

Senate Bill No. 434

(By Senator Beach)

____________

[Introduced January 27, 2014; referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure; and then to the Committee on the Judiciary.]

____________

 

 

 

A BILL to amend and reenact §17C-5A-3a of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, relating to the establishment of and participation in the Motor Vehicle Alcohol Test and Lock Program; allowing DUI offenders to forgo the applicable revocation period for their offense and waive the right to their administrative hearing to expedite participation in the program; and making technical and descriptive corrections to this section of the code.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:

    That §17C-5A-3a of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, be amended and reenacted to read as follows:

ARTICLE 5A. ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURES FOR SUSPENSION AND REVOCATION OF LICENSES FOR DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF ALCOHOL, CONTROLLED SUBSTANCES OR DRUGS.

§17C-5A-3a. Establishment of and participation in the Motor Vehicle Alcohol Test and Lock Program.

    (a) (1) The Division of Motor Vehicles shall control and regulate a Motor Vehicle Alcohol Test and Lock Program for persons whose licenses have been revoked pursuant to this article or the provisions of article five of this chapter or have been convicted under section two, article five of this chapter, or who are serving a term of a conditional probation pursuant to section two-b, article five of this chapter.

    (2) The program shall include the establishment of a users fee for persons participating in the program which shall be paid in advance and deposited into the Driver's Rehabilitation Fund: Provided, That on and after July 1, 2007, any unexpended balance remaining in the Driver's Rehabilitation Fund shall be transferred to the Motor Vehicle Fees Fund created under the provisions of section twenty-one, article two, chapter seventeen-a of this code and all further fees collected shall be deposited in that fund.

    (3) (A) Except where specified otherwise, the use of the term "program" in this section refers to the Motor Vehicle Alcohol Test and Lock Program.

    (B) The Commissioner of the Division of Motor Vehicles shall propose legislative rules for promulgation in accordance with the provisions of chapter twenty-nine-a of this code for the purpose of implementing the provisions of this section. The rules shall also prescribe those requirements which, in addition to the requirements specified by this section for eligibility to participate in the program, the commissioner determines must be met to obtain the commissioner's approval to operate a motor vehicle equipped with a motor vehicle alcohol test and lock system.

    (C) Nothing in this section may be construed to prohibit day report or community correction programs authorized pursuant to article eleven-c, chapter sixty-two of this code, or a home incarceration program authorized pursuant to article eleven-b, chapter sixty-two of this code, from being a provider of motor vehicle alcohol test and lock systems for eligible participants as authorized by this section.

    (4) For purposes of this section, a "motor vehicle alcohol test and lock system" means a mechanical or computerized system which, in the opinion of the commissioner, prevents the operation of a motor vehicle when, through the system's assessment of the blood alcohol content of the person operating or attempting to operate the vehicle, the person is determined to be under the influence of alcohol.

    (5) The fee for installation and removal of ignition interlock devices shall be waived for persons determined to be indigent by the Department of Health and Human Resources pursuant to section three, article five-a, chapter seventeen-c of this code. The commissioner shall establish by legislative rule, proposed pursuant to article three, chapter twenty-nine-a of this code, procedures to be followed with regard to persons determined by the Department of Health and Human Resources to be indigent. The rule shall include, but is not limited to, promulgation of application forms; establishment of procedures for the review of applications; and the establishment of a mechanism for the payment of installations for eligible offenders.

    (6) On or before January 15 of each year, the Commissioner of the Division of Motor Vehicles shall report to the Legislature on:

    (A) The total number of offenders participating in the program during the prior year;

    (B) The total number of indigent offenders participating in the program during the prior year;

    (C) The terms of any contracts with the providers of ignition interlock devices; and

    (D) The total cost of the program to the state during the prior year.

    (b) (1) Any person whose license is revoked for the first time pursuant to this article or the provisions of article five of this chapter is eligible to participate in the program when the person's minimum revocation period as specified by subsection (c) of this section has expired and the person is enrolled in or has successfully completed the safety and treatment program or presents proof to the commissioner within sixty days of receiving approval to participate by the commissioner that he or she is enrolled in a safety and treatment program: Provided, That anyone whose license is revoked for the first time pursuant to subsection (k), section two of this article for driving with a blood alcohol concentration of fifteen hundredths of one percent or more, by weight, must participate in the program when the person's minimum revocation period as specified by subsection (c) of this section has expired and the person is enrolled in or has successfully completed the safety and treatment program or presents proof to the commissioner within sixty days of receiving approval to participate by the commissioner that he or she is enrolled in a safety and treatment program.

    (2) Any person whose license has been suspended pursuant to the provisions of subsection (n), section two of this article for driving a motor vehicle while under the age of twenty-one years with an alcohol concentration in his or her blood of two hundredths of one percent or more, by weight, but less than eight hundredths of one percent, by weight, is eligible to participate in the program after thirty days have elapsed from the date of the initial suspension, during which time the suspension was actually in effect: Provided, That in the case of a person under the age of eighteen, the person is eligible to participate in the program after thirty days have elapsed from the date of the initial suspension, during which time the suspension was actually in effect or after the person's eighteenth birthday, whichever is later. Before the commissioner approves a person to operate a motor vehicle equipped with a motor vehicle alcohol test and lock system, the person must agree to comply with the following conditions:

    (A) If not already enrolled, the person shall enroll in and complete the educational program provided in subsection (d), section three of this article at the earliest time that placement in the educational program is available, unless good cause is demonstrated to the commissioner as to why placement should be postponed;

    (B) The person shall pay all costs of the educational program, any administrative costs and all costs assessed for any suspension hearing.

    (3) Notwithstanding the provisions of this section to the contrary, a person eligible to participate in the program under this subsection may not operate a motor vehicle unless approved to do so by the commissioner.

    (c) A person who participates in the program under subdivision (1), subsection (b) of this section is subject to a minimum revocation period and minimum period for the use of the ignition interlock device as follows:

    (1) For a person whose license has been revoked for a first offense for driving under the influence of alcohol or the combined influence of alcohol, controlled substances, or drugs, or driving with a blood alcohol concentration of eight hundredths of one percent, by weight, but less than fifteen hundredths, by weight for a period of six months pursuant to the provisions of section one-a of this article for conviction of an offense defined in subsection (d) or (g), section two, article five of this chapter or pursuant to subsection (j), section two of this article the minimum period of revocation for participation in the test and lock program is fifteen days and the minimum period for the use of the ignition interlock device is one hundred and twenty-five days;

    (2) For a person whose license has been revoked for a first offense pursuant to section seven, article five of this chapter for refusing a secondary chemical test, the minimum period of revocation for participation in the test and lock program is forty-five days and the minimum period for the use of the ignition interlock device is one year;

    (3) For a person whose license has been revoked for a first offense pursuant to section one-a of this article for conviction of an offense defined in subsection (e), section two, article five of this chapter or pursuant to subsection (j), section two of this article for driving with a blood alcohol concentration of fifteen hundredths of one percent or more, by weight, the minimum period of revocation for participation in the test and lock program is forty-five days and the minimum period for the use of the ignition interlock device is two hundred seventy days;

    (4) For a person whose license has been revoked for a first offense pursuant to the provisions of section one-a of this article for conviction of an offense defined in subsection (a), section two, article five of this chapter or pursuant to subsection (f), section two of this article for driving under the influence of alcohol, or the combined influence of alcohol and controlled substances or drugs, or with a blood alcohol concentration of eight hundredths of one percent or more by weight and proximately causing the death of another while committing an act forbidden by law or failing to perform a duty imposed by law in reckless disregard of the safety of others and the influence of alcohol, controlled substances or drugs or the alcohol concentration in the blood was a contributing cause to the death the minimum period of revocation before the person is eligible for participation in the test and lock program is twelve months and the minimum period for the use of the ignition interlock device is two years;

    (5) For a person whose license has been revoked for a first offense pursuant to the provisions of section one-a of this article for conviction of an offense defined in subsection (b), section two, article five of this chapter or pursuant to subsection (g), section two of this article for driving under the influence of alcohol, or the combined influence of alcohol and controlled substances or drugs, or with a blood alcohol concentration of eight hundredths of one percent or more by weight and proximately causing the death of another while committing an act forbidden by law or failing to perform a duty imposed by law, the minimum period of revocation is six months and the minimum period for the use of the ignition interlock device is two years;

    (6) For a person whose license has been revoked for a first offense pursuant to the provisions of section one-a of this article for conviction of an offense defined in subsection (c), section two, article five of this chapter or pursuant to subsection (h), section two of this article for driving under the influence of alcohol, or the combined influence of alcohol and controlled substances or drugs, or with a blood alcohol concentration of eight hundredths of one percent or more by weight and proximately causing bodily injury to another while committing an act forbidden by law or failing to perform a duty imposed by law, the minimum period of revocation for participation in the program is two months and the minimum period for the use of the ignition interlock device is one year;

    (7) For a person whose license has been revoked for a first offense pursuant to the provisions of section one-a of this article for conviction of an offense defined in subsection (j), section two, article five of this chapter or pursuant to subsection (m), section two of this article for driving under the influence of alcohol, or the combined influence of alcohol and controlled substances or drugs, or with a blood alcohol concentration of eight hundredths of one percent or more by weight while having a passenger under the age of sixteen, the minimum period of revocation for participation in the program is two months and the minimum period for the use of the ignition interlock device is ten months;

    (d) Notwithstanding any provision of the code to the contrary a person shall participate in the program if the person is convicted under section two, article five of this chapter or the person's license is revoked under section two of this article or section seven, article five of this chapter and the person was previously either convicted or his or her license was revoked under any provision cited in this subsection within the past ten years. The minimum revocation period for a person required to participate in the program under this subsection is one year and the minimum period for the use of the ignition interlock device is two years, except that the minimum revocation period for a person required to participate because of a violation of subsection (n), section two of this article or subsection (I), section two, article five of this chapter for driving while under the age of twenty-one with a blood alcohol concentration of two hundredths of one percent, or more, by weight, but less than eight hundredths of one percent, or more, by weight is two months and the minimum period of participation is one year. The division shall add an additional two months to the minimum period for the use of the ignition interlock device if the offense was committed while a minor was in the vehicle. The division shall add an additional six months to the minimum period for the use of the ignition interlock device if a person other than the driver received injuries. The division shall add an additional two years to the minimum period for the use of the ignition interlock device if a person other than the driver is injured and the injuries result in that person's death. The division shall add one year to the minimum period for the use of the ignition interlock device for each additional previous conviction or revocation within the past ten years. Any person required to participate under this subsection must have an ignition interlock device installed on every vehicle he or she owns or operates.

    (e) The commissioner shall defer the revocation period of any person eligible to participate in the Motor Vehicle Alcohol Test and Lock Program under the provisions of subsection (c) or (d) of this section if the person applies for the program prior to the effective date of the revocation and agrees to the minimum period for the use of the ignition interlock device. The person’s application submission to participate in the Motor Vehicle Alcohol Test and Lock Program under this subsection constitutes a waiver of the administrative hearing right provided in section two of this article. Upon successful completion of the period for the use of the ignition interlock device and all other terms of the program, the commissioner shall waive the revocation period.

    (e) (f) Notwithstanding any other provision in this code, a person whose license is revoked for driving under the influence of drugs is not eligible to participate in the Motor Vehicle Alcohol Test and Lock Program.

    (f) (g) An applicant for the test and lock program may not have been convicted of any violation of section three, article four, chapter seventeen-b of this code for driving while the applicant's driver's license was suspended or revoked within the six-month period preceding the date of application for admission to the test and lock program unless such is necessary for employment purposes.

    (g) (h) Upon permitting an eligible person to participate in the program, the commissioner shall issue to the person, and the person is required to exhibit on demand, a driver's license which shall reflect that the person is restricted to the operation of a motor vehicle which is equipped with an approved motor vehicle alcohol test and lock system.

    (h) (I) The commissioner may extend the minimum period of revocation and the minimum period of participation in the program for a person who violates the terms and conditions of participation in the program as found in this section, or legislative rule, or any agreement or contract between the participant and the division or program service provider. If the commissioner finds that any person participating in the program pursuant to section two-b, article five of this chapter must be removed therefrom for violation(s) of the terms and conditions thereof, he or she shall notify the person, the court that imposed the term of participation in the program, and the prosecuting attorney in the county wherein the order imposing participation in the program was entered.

    (I) (j) A person whose license has been suspended pursuant to the provisions of subsection (n), section two for a first offense of driving while under the age of twenty-one with a blood alcohol concentration of two hundredths of one percent, or more, by weight, but less than eight hundredths of one percent, or more, by weight, who has completed the educational program and who has not violated the terms required by the commissioner of the person's participation in the program is entitled to the reinstatement of his or her driver's license six months from the date the person is permitted to operate a motor vehicle by the commissioner. When a license has been reinstated pursuant to this subsection, the records ordering the suspension, records of any administrative hearing, records of any blood alcohol test results and all other records pertaining to the suspension shall be expunged by operation of law: Provided, That a person is entitled to expungement under the provisions of this subsection only once. The expungement shall be accomplished by physically marking the records to show that the records have been expunged and by securely sealing and filing the records. Expungement has the legal effect as if the suspension never occurred. The records may not be disclosed or made available for inspection and in response to a request for record information, the commissioner shall reply that no information is available. Information from the file may be used by the commissioner for research and statistical purposes so long as the use of the information does not divulge the identity of the person.

    (j) (k) In addition to any other penalty imposed by this code, any person who operates a motor vehicle not equipped with an approved motor vehicle alcohol test and lock system during that person's participation in the Motor Vehicle Alcohol Test and Lock Program is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction thereof, shall be confined in jail for a period not less than one month nor more than six months and fined not less than $100 nor more than $500. Any person who attempts to bypass the alcohol test and lock system is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction thereof, shall be confined in jail not more than six months and fined not less than $100 nor more than $1,000: Provided, That notwithstanding any provision of this code to the contrary, a person enrolled and participating in the test and lock program may operate a motor vehicle solely at his or her job site if the operation is a condition of his or her employment. For the purpose of this section, job site does not include any street or highway open to the use of the public for purposes of vehicular traffic.

 

 

 

    NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to eliminate the revocation period for DUI offenders if the person is eligible for the Alcohol Test and Lock Program, applies for the Program prior to the effective date of the revocation, agrees to use the Test and Lock Device for the required length of the Program and waives any right to an administrative hearing.

 

    Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from the present law, and underscoring indicates new language that would be added.

This Web site is maintained by the West Virginia Legislature's Office of Reference & Information.  |  Terms of Use  |   Email WebmasterWebmaster   |   © 2024 West Virginia Legislature **


X

Print On Demand

Name:
Email:
Phone:

Print