Mothers Against Drunk Driving

Maryland

2006 Legislative Summary

The 2006 session of the Maryland General Assembly ended at midnight on Monday, April 10, 2006.  The members of the Impaired Driving Coalition Legislative Subcommittee and MADD volunteers met with key legislators on different occasions, and lobbied long and hard to hlep pass effective drunk driving measures.  We are disappointed that many of our important bills were not successful.  Two bills supported by the IDC passed with ammendments:  the Governor's underage drunk driving bill (Senate Bill 228, House Bill 310) and Delegate Zirkin's High BAC/refusal interlock bill (House Bill 525).

The following is a list of impaired driving bills, as well as other bills of interest, and their fate in the legislature:

UNDERAGE DRINKING

• Underage Consumption, HB 520 (Del. Hogan) - unfavorable report by the House Judiciary Committee
• Use and Lose, HB 825 (Del. Bronrott) - unfavorable report by the House Judiciary Committee
• Use and Lose, SB 424 (Sen. Ruben and Sen. Forehand) - withdrawn (crossfiled bills)
• License suspension for adults and underage who furnish alcohol to underage persons, (HB 620 (Del. Shewell) - unfavorable report House Judiciary Committee
• Liscense suspension for adults who furnish alcohol to underage persons, SB 757 (Sen. Garagiola) - passes Senate with amendments, no vote House Judiciary Committee
• Underage drunk driving, SB 228, (HB 310 (Governor) - passed both Houses with amendments: first offense is one year suspension; second/subsequent offense is two year suspension

REPEAT OFFENDERS

• Probation Before Judgement (PBJ) window changed from 5 to 10 years, SB 372 (Sen. Ruben) - passed Senate: HB 821 (Del. Bronrott) - no vote House Judiciary Committee
• Repeat Offender Loophole, HB 1415 (Del. O'Donnell) - no vote House Judiciary Committee       

INTERLOCK

• HB 124, 125,  545 (Del. Zirkin) - withdrawn
• HB 525 (Del. Zirkin) - (interlack for High BAC and refusal) passed House and Senate with amendments
• SB 53 (Sen. Giannetti) - passed both Houses with different amendments; conference committee appointed - time ran out
• SB 718, 719 (Sen. Giannetti) - withdrawn

HIGH BAC

• SB 577 (Sen. Ruben) - unfavorable Senate JPR
• SB 708 (Sen. Ruben) - no vote Senate JPR

OTHER BILLS OF INTEREST

• Criminal negligence, SB 855 (Sen. Forehand) - passed Senate with amendments; HB 550 (Del. Simmons) - no vote House Judiciary (cross filed bills)
• Serious physical injury, HB 675 (Del. Dumais) - no vote House Judiciary Committee
• Victim statement at MVA hearings, SB 213 (Sen. Jacobs) - passed Senate with amendments; no vote House Judiciary
• Special license tags for repeat offenders, HB 1315 (Del. Taylor) - unfavorable report House Judiciary Committee
• Prior notice for subsequent offender penalties, HB 1313 (Del. Taylor) - unfavorable report House Judiciary Committee
• Causing bodily injury or death while driving while suspended, SB 886 (Sen. Jimeno and Sen. Mooney); HB 1218 (Del. DeBoy) - unfavorable report House Judiciary (cross filed bills)
• Alternative treatment programs for drugs and alcohol, SB 1047 (Sen. Stone) - unfavorable report Senate Education, Health, and Environmental Affairs