SB 105 — Creating offense of impaired operation of motor vehicle placing nonpassengers at risk of physical injury

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Red = new code to be enacted WEST virginia legislature regular session IntroducedCommittee Substitute for Senate Bill 105 By Senator WoelfelWoelfel, [Introducedoriginal Januarysponsor 9,[Originating 2019;in the Committee on the Judiciary;

ReferredReported on February 23, 2019]     A BILL to amend the CommitteeCode onof TransportationWest andVirginia, Infrastructure;1931, as amended, by adding thereto a new section, designated §17C-5-2c, relating to creating the new criminal offense of impaired operation of a motor vehicle placing nonpassengers at risk of physical injury;

andclarifying thenthat tooffense theis Committeeseparate onand thedistinct Judiciary]from  operating Aa BILLmotor tovehicle amendunder the Codeinfluence; of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, by adding thereto a new section, designated §17C-5-3a, relating to creating an enhanced penalty for certain aggravated serious traffic offenses;

requiringand aestablishing personpenalties. to first be convicted of the underlying offense before the enhanced penalty is permitted to be assessed;

and prohibiting the enhanced penalty from increasing a misdemeanor offense to a felony offense.

§17C-5-3a.§17C-5-2c.

EnhancedEndangering penaltypersons forby endangeringimpaired children.operating of a motor vehicle.

 Any(a) Any person convictedwho, ofwhile anoperating offensea containedmotor vehicle in §17C-5-2violation orof §17C-5-3the provisions of this§17C-5-2 codeof isthis subjectcode, toplaces a potentialnonpassenger enhancedat penaltyrisk ifof thephysical conductinjury, thatshall ledbe toguilty theof a misdemeanor and, upon conviction createdthereof, ashall severebe andfined imminentnot dangerless tothan one$500 ornor more minorsthan outside$1,000, theconfined vehicle.in jail for not more than one year, or both fined and confined.

The(b) questionA violation of whetherthe orprovisions notof thethis personsection is subjecta toseparate theand enhanceddistinct penaltyoffense isfrom toa beviolation decidedof by§17C-5-2 the trier of factthis incode. the same manner as the underlying offense.

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Provided, That this enhanced penalty cannot subject a person convicted of a misdemeanor offense to more than one-year confinement total.

This enhanced penalty is not a separate crime and cannot change a misdemeanor offense into a felony offense.

  NOTE:

The purpose of this bill is to create an enhanced penalty for persons convicted of DUI or reckless driving when the conduct creates a severe and imminent danger to one or more minors outside the vehicle.

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

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