House Bill No. 208

Introduced By _______________________________________________________________________________

A Bill for an Act entitled: "An Act increasing fines for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs or with an illegal alcohol or drug content in the blood; providing that no part of the fine may be suspended; increasing the period of revocation of a driver's license upon a third or subsequent offense; increasing the penalty for driving while the driver's license was suspended or revoked for a first or subsequent offense; and amending sections 61-5-208, 61-5-212, 61-8-714, and 61-8-722, MCA."

Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Montana:

Section 1. Section 61-5-208, MCA, is amended to read:

"61-5-208. Period of suspension or revocation. (1) The department may not suspend or revoke a driver's license or privilege to drive a motor vehicle on the public highways for a period of more than 1 year, except as otherwise permitted by law.

(2) A person whose license or privilege to drive a motor vehicle on the public highways has been suspended or revoked may not have the license, endorsement, or privilege renewed or restored unless the revocation was for a cause ~~which~~ that has been removed. After the expiration of the period of the revocation or suspension, the person may make application for a new license or endorsement as provided by law but the department may not issue a new license or endorsement unless and until it is satisfied, after investigation of the driving ability of the person and upon a showing by its records or other sufficient evidence, that the person is eligible to be licensed to drive in Montana. When any person is convicted or forfeits bail or collateral not vacated for the offense of operating or being in actual physical control of a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol or any drug or a combination of alcohol or drugs or for the offense of operation of a motor vehicle by a person with alcohol concentration of 0.10 or more, the department shall, upon receiving a report of conviction or forfeiture of bail or collateral not vacated, suspend the driver's license or driving privilege of the person for a period of 6 months. Upon receiving a report of a conviction or forfeiture of bail or collateral for a second~~, third, or subsequent~~ offense within 5 years of the first offense, the department shall revoke the license or driving privilege of the person for a period of 1 year, except that if the 1-year period passes and the person has not completed an alcohol information course, treatment, or both, as ordered by the sentencing court, the license revocation remains in effect until the course, treatment, or both are completed. Upon receiving a report of a conviction or forfeiture of bail or collateral for a third or subsequent offense within 5 years of the first offense, the department shall revoke the license or driving privilege and may not issue the person a license or driving privilege unless 5 years have passed since the person's last conviction.

(3) The period for all revocations made mandatory by 61-5-205 is 1 year except as provided in subsection (2).

(4) The period of revocation for any person convicted of any offense ~~which~~ that makes mandatory the revocation of the driver's license commences from date of conviction or forfeiture of bail.

(5) If a person is convicted of a violation of 61-8-401 or 61-8-406 while operating a commercial motor vehicle, the department shall suspend the person's driver's license as provided in 61-8-811 and subsection (2) of this section."

Section 2. Section 61-5-212, MCA, is amended to read:

"61-5-212. Driving while license suspended or revoked -- penalty -- seizure of vehicle or rendering vehicle inoperable. (1) (a) A Except as provided in subsection (1)(b), a person who drives a motor vehicle or commercial motor vehicle on any public highway of this state at a time when the person's privilege to do so is suspended or revoked in this state or any other state is guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction shall be punished by imprisonment for not less than 2 days or more than 6 months and may be fined not more than $500.

(b) If the license was suspended or revoked for a violation of 61-8-401 or 61-8-406, the court shall impose any fine and incarceration period that can be imposed for the underlying offense.

(2) The department upon receiving a record of the conviction of any person under this section upon a charge of driving a vehicle while the person's driver's license was suspended or revoked shall extend the period of suspension or revocation for an additional like period.

(3) The vehicle owned and operated at the time of an offense under this section by a person whose driver's license is suspended or revoked for violating the provisions of 61-8-401, 61-8-402(5), 61-8-406, 61-8-409, or 61-8-410 must, upon a person's first conviction, be seized or rendered inoperable by the county sheriff of the convicted person's county of residence for a period of 30 days.

(4) The sentencing court shall order the action provided for under subsection (3) and shall specify the date on which the vehicle is to be returned or again rendered operable. The vehicle must be seized or rendered inoperable by the sheriff within 10 days after the conviction.

(5) A convicted person is responsible for all costs associated with actions taken under subsection (3). Joint ownership of the vehicle with another person does not prohibit the actions required by subsection (3) unless the sentencing court determines that those actions would constitute an extreme hardship on a joint owner who is determined to be without fault.

(6) A court may not suspend or defer imposition of penalties provided by this section."

Section 3. Section 61-8-714, MCA, is amended to read:

"61-8-714. Penalty for driving under influence of alcohol or drugs. (1) Except as provided in subsections (8) and (9), a person convicted of a violation of 61-8-401 shall be punished by imprisonment in the county jail for not less than 24 consecutive hours or more than 60 days and shall be punished by a fine of ~~not less than $100 or more than~~ $500. No part of the fine may be suspended. The imprisonment sentence may not be suspended unless the judge finds that the imposition of the imprisonment sentence will pose a risk to the defendant's physical or mental well-being.

(2) Except as provided in subsection (8), on a second conviction, the person shall be punished by a fine of ~~not less than $300 or more than $500~~ $1,000, no part of which may be suspended, and by imprisonment for not less than 7 days, at least 48 hours of which must be served consecutively, or more than 6 months. Except as provided in subsection (8), 3 days of the imprisonment sentence may not be suspended unless the judge finds that the imposition of the imprisonment sentence will pose a risk to the defendant's physical or mental well-being.

(3) (a) Except as provided in subsection (8), on the third conviction, the person shall be punished by imprisonment for a term of not less than 30 days, at least 48 hours of which must be served consecutively, or more than 1 year and by a fine of ~~not less than $500 or more than $1,000~~ $1,500. No part of the fine may be suspended. Except as provided in subsection (8), notwithstanding any provision to the contrary providing for suspension of execution of a sentence imposed under this subsection, the imposition or execution of the first 10 days of the imprisonment sentence imposed for a third offense that occurred within 5 years of the first offense may not be suspended.

(b) (i) On the third or subsequent conviction, the court, in addition to any other penalty imposed by law, shall order the motor vehicle owned and operated by the person at the time of the offense to be seized and subjected to the procedure provided under 61-8-421.

(ii) A vehicle used by a person as a common carrier in the transaction of business as a common carrier is not subject to forfeiture unless it appears that the owner or other person in charge of the vehicle consented to or was privy to the violation. A vehicle may not be forfeited under this section for any act or omission established by the owner to have been committed or omitted by a person other than the owner while the vehicle was unlawfully in the possession of a person other than the owner in violation of the criminal laws of this state or the United States.

(iii) Forfeiture of a vehicle encumbered by a security interest is subject to the secured person's interest if the person did not know and could not have reasonably known of the unlawful possession, use, or other act on which the forfeiture is sought.

(4) On the fourth or subsequent conviction, the person is guilty of a felony offense and shall be punished by imprisonment for a term of not less than 1 year or more than 10 years and by a fine of not less than ~~$1,000~~ $1,500 or more than $10,000. No part of the fine may be suspended. Except as provided in subsection (8), notwithstanding any provision to the contrary providing for suspension of execution of a sentence imposed under this subsection, the imposition or execution of the first 6 months of the imprisonment sentence imposed for a fourth or subsequent offense may not be suspended.

(5) In addition to the punishment provided in this section, regardless of disposition, the defendant shall complete an alcohol information course at an alcohol treatment program approved by the department of public health and human services, which may include alcohol or drug treatment, or both. Alcohol or drug treatment, or both, must be ordered for a first-time offender upon a finding of chemical dependency made by a certified chemical dependency counselor pursuant to diagnosis and patient placement rules adopted by the department of public health and human services. On conviction of a second or subsequent offense under this section, in addition to the punishment provided in this section, regardless of disposition, the defendant shall complete an alcohol information course at an alcohol treatment program approved by the department of public health and human services~~, which~~ that must include alcohol or drug treatment, or both. As long as the alcohol information course is approved as provided in this subsection and the treatment is provided by a certified chemical dependency counselor, the defendant may attend the information course and treatment program of the defendant's choice. The treatment provided to the defendant at a treatment program must be at a level appropriate to the defendant's alcohol or drug problem, or both, as determined by a certified chemical dependency counselor pursuant to diagnosis and patient placement rules adopted by the department of corrections. Upon determination, the court shall order the defendant's appropriate level of treatment. If more than one counselor makes a determination as provided in this subsection, the court shall order an appropriate level of treatment based upon the determination of one of the counselors. On a second or subsequent conviction, the treatment program must be followed by monthly monitoring for a period of at least 1 year from the date of admission to the program. A court or counselor may not require attendance at a self-help program other than at an "open meeting" as that term is defined by the self-help program. A defendant may voluntarily participate in self-help programs. Each counselor providing education or treatment shall, at the commencement of the education or treatment, notify the court that the defendant has been enrolled in an alcohol information course or treatment program. If the defendant fails to attend the information course or treatment program, the counselor shall notify the court of the failure.

(6) For the purpose of determining the number of convictions under this section, "conviction" means a final conviction, as defined in 45-2-101, in this state,; conviction for a violation of a similar statute in another state,; or a forfeiture of bail or collateral deposited to secure the defendant's appearance in court in this state or another state, ~~which~~ when the forfeiture has not been vacated. An offender is considered to have been previously convicted for the purposes of sentencing if less than 5 years have elapsed between the commission of the present offense and a previous conviction, unless the offense is the offender's fourth or subsequent offense, in which case all previous convictions must be used for sentencing purposes. If there has not been an additional conviction for an offense under this section for a period of 5 years after a prior conviction under this section, then all records and data relating to the prior conviction are confidential criminal justice information, as defined in 44-5-103, and public access to the information may only be obtained by district court order upon good cause shown.

(7) For the purpose of calculating subsequent convictions under this section, a conviction for a violation of 61-8-406 also constitutes a conviction for a violation of 61-8-401.

(8) The court may order that a term of imprisonment imposed under this section be served in another facility made available by the county and approved by the sentencing court. The defendant, if financially able, shall bear the expense of the imprisonment in the facility. The court may impose restrictions on the defendant's ability to leave the premises of the facility and require that the defendant follow the rules of that facility. The facility may be, but is not required to be, a community-based prerelease center as provided for in 53-1-203. The prerelease center may accept or reject a defendant referred by the sentencing court.

(9) Except for the initial 24 hours on a first offense or the initial 48 hours on a second or subsequent offense, the court may order that a term of imprisonment imposed under this section be served by imprisonment under home arrest as provided in Title 46, chapter 18, part 10.

(10) A court may not defer imposition of sentence under this section."

Section 4. Section 61-8-722, MCA, is amended to read:

"61-8-722. Penalty for driving with excessive alcohol concentration. (1) Except as provided in subsection (9), a person convicted of a violation of 61-8-406 shall be punished by imprisonment for not more than 10 days and shall be punished by a fine of ~~not less than $100 or more than~~ $500. No part of the fine may be suspended.

(2) Except as provided in subsection (9), on a second conviction of a violation of 61-8-406, the person shall be punished by imprisonment for not less than 48 consecutive hours or more than 30 days and by a fine of ~~not less than $300 or more than $500~~ $1,000. No part of the fine may be suspended.

(3) (a) Except as provided in subsection (9), on a third conviction of a violation of 61-8-406, the person shall be punished by imprisonment for not less than 48 consecutive hours or more than 6 months and by a fine of ~~not less than $500 or more than $1,000~~ $1,500. No part of the fine may be suspended.

(4) On the fourth or subsequent conviction, the person is guilty of a felony offense and shall be punished by imprisonment for a term of not less than 1 year or more than 10 years and by a fine of not less than ~~$1,000~~ $1,500 or more than $10,000. No part of the fine may be suspended. Except as provided in subsection (9), notwithstanding any other provision providing for suspension of execution of a sentence imposed under this subsection, the imposition or execution of the first 6 months of the imprisonment sentence imposed for a fourth or subsequent offense may not be suspended.

(5) The provisions of 61-5-205(2), 61-5-208(2), and 61-11-203(2)(d), relating to revocation and suspension of driver's licenses, apply to any conviction under 61-8-406.

(6) In addition to the punishment provided in this section, regardless of disposition, the defendant shall complete an alcohol information course at an alcohol treatment program approved by the department of public health and human services, which must include alcohol or drug treatment, or both, in accordance with the provisions of 61-8-714. Each counselor providing education or treatment shall, at the commencement of the education or treatment, notify the court that the defendant has been enrolled in a course or treatment program. If the defendant fails to attend the course or the treatment program, the counselor shall notify the court of the failure.

(7) For the purpose of determining the number of convictions under this section, "conviction" means a final conviction, as defined in 45-2-101, in this state or a similar statute in another state or a forfeiture of bail or collateral deposited to secure the defendant's appearance in court in this state or another state, which forfeiture has not been vacated. An offender is considered to have been previously convicted for the purposes of sentencing if less than 5 years have elapsed between the commission of the present offense and a previous conviction, unless the offense is the offender's fourth or subsequent offense, in which case all previous convictions must be used for sentencing purposes. If there has not been an additional conviction for an offense under this section for a period of 5 years after a prior conviction under this section, then all records and data relating to the prior conviction are confidential criminal justice information, as defined in 45-5-103, and public access to the information may only be obtained by district court order upon good cause shown.

(8) For the purpose of calculating subsequent convictions under this section, a conviction for a violation of 61-8-401 also constitutes a conviction for a violation of 61-8-406.

(9) The court may order that a term of imprisonment imposed under this section be served in another facility made available by the county and approved by the sentencing court. The defendant, if financially able, shall bear the expense of the imprisonment in the facility. The court may impose restrictions on the defendant's ability to leave the premises of the facility and require that the defendant follow the rules of that facility. The facility may be, but is not required to be, a community-based prerelease center as provided for in 53-1-203. The prerelease center may accept or reject a defendant referred by the sentencing court.

(10) Except for the initial 24 hours on a first offense or the initial 48 hours on a second or subsequent offense, the court may order that a term of imprisonment imposed under this section be served by imprisonment under home arrest as provided in Title 46, chapter 18, part 10.

(11) A court may not defer imposition of sentence under this section."

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