DRIVING WITHOUT A LICENSE - S.B. 625 (S-1): FLOOR ANALYSIS

Senate Bill 625 (Substitute S-1 as reported)

Sponsor: Senator Loren Bennett

Committee: Judiciary

CONTENT

The bill would amend the Michigan Vehicle Code to do the following:

-- Require a court, when a person pleaded guilty to or was found guilty of driving without a license, to consider all prior convictions within the past seven years entered upon the person's Michigan driving record. If the person had prior convictions, the court would have to order that a restricted registration plate be issued, that the person's vehicle be immobilized, that the operation of the vehicle be restricted, or that the vehicle be forfeited (depending upon the number of prior offenses).

-- Require the Secretary of State to impose an additional 30-day period of suspension or denial, upon receiving a record of a person's unlawful operation of a motor vehicle or moving violation while his or her license was indefinitely suspended or after his or her license application had been denied.

-- Provide that if a registration application were for a vehicle for which a restricted plate was issued, each owner or lessor would have to sign a written acknowledgment that the vehicle could be subject to immobilization or forfeiture

-- Prohibit the transfer, purchase, or lease of a vehicle with the intent to avoid the issuance of a restricted plate or to circumvent the restrictions, and prohibit the transfer, purchase, or lease of a vehicle subject to immobilization.

The bill would take effect May 1, 1998, and is tie-barred to Senate Bills 268, 269, 271, 626, 627, 870, 953, 989, 990, and 991.

MCL 257.217 et al. - Legislative Analyst: S. Lowe

FISCAL IMPACT

Senate Bills 625 (S-1), 626 (S-1), and 627 (S-1) would have indeterminate fiscal impacts on State and local government.

There are no data currently available that would indicate how many people might be convicted of the felonies or misdemeanors included in these Senate bills. State and local government could incur costs for incarceration and/or receive additional fine revenue under the proposed legislation.

The provisions would impose substantial increases in administrative costs to the Department of State. To defray its costs, the State would impose a $125 registration fee for the restricted registration plates. Of the approximately 7,000,000 licensed drivers, 370,000 had their licenses suspended or revoked in 1997. Since there are no data currently available to indicate how many additional people would qualify for these restricted registration plates, the fiscal impact is indeterminate.

Date Completed: 3-9-98 - Fiscal Analyst: K. Firestone

- E. Limbs

floor\sb625 - Analysis available @ http://www.michiganlegislature.org

This analysis was prepared by nonpartisan Senate staff for use by the Senate in its deliberations and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent.