HOUSE BILL No. 4367

 

February 22, 2005, Introduced by Reps. Wenke, Nofs and Jones and referred to the Committee on Transportation.

 

     A bill to amend 1949 PA 300, entitled

 

"Michigan vehicle code,"

 

by amending sections 625a, 625c, 625d, 625e, and 625f (MCL

 

257.625a, 257.625c, 257.625d, 257.625e, and 257.625f), sections

 

625a, 625c, and 625f as amended by 2003 PA 61, section 625d as

 

amended by 1994 PA 211, and section 625e as amended by 1991 PA 104,

 

and by adding section 306a.

 

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:

 

     Sec. 306a. (1) A person shall not accompany a student for

 

purposes of section 306 if any of the following apply:

 

     (a) The person is under the influence of intoxicating liquor,

 

a controlled substance, or a combination of intoxicating liquor and

 


a controlled substance.

 

     (b) The person's ability to direct the operation of a motor

 

vehicle is impaired due to the consumption of intoxicating liquor,

 

a controlled substance, or a combination of intoxicating liquor and

 

a controlled substance.

 

     (c) The person has an alcohol content of 0.08 grams or more

 

per 100 milliliters of blood, per 210 liters of breath, or per 67

 

milliliters of urine or, beginning October 1, 2013, the person has

 

an alcohol content of 0.10 grams or more per 210 liters of breath

 

or per 67 milliliters of urine.

 

     (2) A person who violates this section is guilty of a crime as

 

follows:

 

     (a) Except as provided in subdivisions (b) and (c), the person

 

is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for not more

 

than 93 days or a fine of not less than $100.00 or more than

 

$500.00, or both.

 

     (b) If, at the time of the violation of this section, the

 

student is operating the motor vehicle in violation of section

 

625(4), the person accompanying the student is guilty of a felony

 

punishable by imprisonment for not more than 5 years or a fine of

 

not less than $1,500.00 or more than $10,000.00, or both.

 

     (c) If, at the time of the violation of this section, the

 

student is operating the motor vehicle in violation of section

 

625(5), the person accompanying the student is guilty of a felony

 

punishable by imprisonment for not more than 2 years or a fine of

 

not less than $1,000.00 or more than $5,000.00, or both.

 

     Sec. 625a. (1) A peace officer may arrest a person without a

 


warrant under either of the following circumstances:

 

     (a) The peace officer has reasonable cause to believe the

 

person was, at the time of an accident in this state, the operator

 

of a vehicle involved in the accident and was operating the vehicle

 

in violation of section 625 or a local ordinance substantially

 

corresponding to section 625.

 

     (b) The person is found in the driver's seat of a vehicle

 

parked or stopped on a highway or street within this state if any

 

part of the vehicle intrudes into the roadway and the peace officer

 

has reasonable cause to believe the person was operating the

 

vehicle in violation of section 625 or a local ordinance

 

substantially corresponding to section 625.

 

     (c) The peace officer has reasonable cause to believe that the

 

person was accompanying a student driver in violation of section

 

306a.

 

     (2) A peace officer who has reasonable cause to believe that a

 

person was operating a vehicle upon a public highway or other place

 

open to the public or generally accessible to motor vehicles,

 

including an area designated for the parking of vehicles, within

 

this state and that the person by the consumption of alcoholic

 

liquor may have affected his or her ability to operate a vehicle,

 

or reasonable cause to believe that a person was operating a

 

commercial motor vehicle within the state while the person's blood,

 

breath, or urine contained any measurable amount of alcohol or

 

while the person had any detectable presence of alcoholic liquor,

 

or reasonable cause to believe that a person who is less than 21

 

years of age was operating a vehicle upon a public highway or other

 


place open to the public or generally accessible to motor vehicles,

 

including an area designated for the parking of vehicles, within

 

this state while the person had any bodily alcohol content as that

 

term is defined in section 625(6), or reasonable cause to believe

 

that the person was accompanying a student driver in violation of

 

section 306a, may require the person to submit to a preliminary

 

chemical breath analysis. The following provisions apply with

 

respect to a preliminary chemical breath analysis administered

 

under this subsection:

 

     (a) A peace officer may arrest a person based in whole or in

 

part upon the results of a preliminary chemical breath analysis.

 

     (b) The results of a preliminary chemical breath analysis are

 

admissible in a criminal prosecution for a crime enumerated in

 

section 625c(1) or a violation of section 306a or in an

 

administrative hearing for 1 or more of the following purposes:

 

     (i) To assist the court or hearing officer in determining a

 

challenge to the validity of an arrest. This subparagraph does not

 

limit the introduction of other competent evidence offered to

 

establish the validity of an arrest.

 

     (ii) As evidence of the defendant's breath alcohol content, if

 

offered by the defendant to rebut testimony elicited on cross-

 

examination of a defense witness that the defendant's breath

 

alcohol content was higher at the time of the charged offense than

 

when a chemical test was administered under subsection (6).

 

     (iii) As evidence of the defendant's breath alcohol content, if

 

offered by the prosecution to rebut testimony elicited on cross-

 

examination of a prosecution witness that the defendant's breath

 


alcohol content was lower at the time of the charged offense than

 

when a chemical test was administered under subsection (6).

 

     (c) A person who submits to a preliminary chemical breath

 

analysis remains subject to the requirements of sections 625c,

 

625d, 625e, and 625f for purposes of chemical tests described in

 

those sections.

 

     (d) Except as provided in subsection (5), a person who refuses

 

to submit to a preliminary chemical breath analysis upon a lawful

 

request by a peace officer is responsible for a civil infraction.

 

     (3) A peace officer shall use the results of a preliminary

 

chemical breath analysis conducted pursuant to this section to

 

determine whether to order a person out-of-service under section

 

319d. A peace officer shall order out-of-service as required under

 

section 319d a person who was operating a commercial motor vehicle

 

and who refuses to submit to a preliminary chemical breath analysis

 

as provided in this section. This section does not limit use of

 

other competent evidence by the peace officer to determine whether

 

to order a person out-of-service under section 319d.

 

     (4) A person who was operating a commercial motor vehicle and

 

who is requested to submit to a preliminary chemical breath

 

analysis under this section shall be advised that refusing a peace

 

officer's request to take a test described in this section is a

 

misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for not more than 93 days or

 

a fine of not more than $100.00, or both, and will result in the

 

issuance of a 24-hour out-of-service order.

 

     (5) A person who was operating a commercial motor vehicle and

 

who refuses to submit to a preliminary chemical breath analysis

 


upon a peace officer's lawful request is guilty of a misdemeanor

 

punishable by imprisonment for not more than 93 days or a fine of

 

not more than $100.00, or both.

 

     (6) The following provisions apply with respect to chemical

 

tests and analysis of a person's blood, urine, or breath, other

 

than preliminary chemical breath analysis:

 

     (a) The amount of alcohol or presence of a controlled

 

substance or both in a driver's blood or urine or the amount of

 

alcohol in a person's breath at the time alleged as shown by

 

chemical analysis of the person's blood, urine, or breath is

 

admissible into evidence in any civil or criminal proceeding and is

 

presumed to be the same as at the time the person operated the

 

vehicle.

 

     (b) A person arrested for a crime described in section 625c(1)

 

shall be advised of all of the following:

 

     (i) If he or she takes a chemical test of his or her blood,

 

urine, or breath administered at the request of a peace officer, he

 

or she has the right to demand that a person of his or her own

 

choosing administer 1 of the chemical tests.

 

     (ii) The results of the test are admissible in a judicial

 

proceeding as provided under this act and will be considered with

 

other admissible evidence in determining the defendant's innocence

 

or guilt.

 

     (iii) He or she is responsible for obtaining a chemical analysis

 

of a test sample obtained at his or her own request.

 

     (iv) If he or she refuses the request of a peace officer to

 

take a test described in subparagraph (i), a test shall not be given

 


without a court order, but the peace officer may seek to obtain a

 

court order.

 

     (v) Refusing a peace officer's request to take a test

 

described in subparagraph (i), other than for a violation of section

 

306a, will result in the suspension of his or her operator's or

 

chauffeur's license and vehicle group designation or operating

 

privilege and in the addition of 6 points to his or her driver

 

record.

 

     (c) A sample or specimen of urine or breath shall be taken and

 

collected in a reasonable manner. Only a licensed physician, or an

 

individual operating under the delegation of a licensed physician

 

under section 16215 of the public health code, 1978 PA 368, MCL

 

333.16215, qualified to withdraw blood and acting in a medical

 

environment, may withdraw blood at a peace officer's request to

 

determine the amount of alcohol or presence of a controlled

 

substance or both in the person's blood, as provided in this

 

subsection. Liability for a crime or civil damages predicated on

 

the act of withdrawing or analyzing blood and related procedures

 

does not attach to a licensed physician or individual operating

 

under the delegation of a licensed physician who withdraws or

 

analyzes blood or assists in the withdrawal or analysis in

 

accordance with this act unless the withdrawal or analysis is

 

performed in a negligent manner.

 

     (d) A chemical test described in this subsection shall be

 

administered at the request of a peace officer having reasonable

 

grounds to believe the person has committed a crime described in

 

section 625c(1). A person who takes a chemical test administered at

 


a peace officer's request as provided in this section shall be

 

given a reasonable opportunity to have a person of his or her own

 

choosing administer 1 of the chemical tests described in this

 

subsection within a reasonable time after his or her detention. The

 

test results are admissible and shall be considered with other

 

admissible evidence in determining the defendant's innocence or

 

guilt. If the person charged is administered a chemical test by a

 

person of his or her own choosing, the person charged is

 

responsible for obtaining a chemical analysis of the test sample.

 

     (e) If, after an accident, the driver of a vehicle involved in

 

the accident is transported to a medical facility and a sample of

 

the driver's blood is withdrawn at that time for medical treatment,

 

the results of a chemical analysis of that sample are admissible in

 

any civil or criminal proceeding to show the amount of alcohol or

 

presence of a controlled substance or both in the person's blood at

 

the time alleged, regardless of whether the person had been offered

 

or had refused a chemical test. The medical facility or person

 

performing the chemical analysis shall disclose the results of the

 

analysis to a prosecuting attorney who requests the results for use

 

in a criminal prosecution as provided in this subdivision. A

 

medical facility or person disclosing information in compliance

 

with this subsection is not civilly or criminally liable for making

 

the disclosure.

 

     (f) If, after an accident, the driver of a vehicle involved in

 

the accident is deceased, a sample of the decedent's blood shall be

 

withdrawn in a manner directed by the medical examiner to determine

 

the amount of alcohol or the presence of a controlled substance, or

 


both, in the decedent's blood. The medical examiner shall give the

 

results of the chemical analysis of the sample to the law

 

enforcement agency investigating the accident and that agency shall

 

forward the results to the department of state police.

 

     (g) The department of state police shall promulgate uniform

 

rules in compliance with the administrative procedures act of 1969,

 

1969 PA 306, MCL 24.201 to 24.328, for the administration of

 

chemical tests for the purposes of this section. An instrument used

 

for a preliminary chemical breath analysis may be used for a

 

chemical test described in this subsection if approved under rules

 

promulgated by the department of state police.

 

     (7) The provisions of subsection (6) relating to chemical

 

testing do not limit the introduction of any other admissible

 

evidence bearing upon any of the following questions:

 

     (a) Whether the person was impaired by, or under the influence

 

of, alcoholic liquor, a controlled substance, or a combination of

 

alcoholic liquor and a controlled substance.

 

     (b) Whether the person had an alcohol content of 0.08 grams or

 

more per 100 milliliters of blood, per 210 liters of breath, or per

 

67 milliliters of urine or, beginning October 1, 2013, the person

 

had an alcohol content of 0.10 grams or more per 100 milliliters of

 

blood, per 210 liters of breath, or per 67 milliliters of urine.

 

     (c) If the person is less than 21 years of age, whether the

 

person had any bodily alcohol content within his or her body. As

 

used in this subdivision, "any bodily alcohol content" means either

 

of the following:

 

     (i) An alcohol content of 0.02 grams or more but less than 0.08

 


grams per 100 milliliters of blood, per 210 liters of breath, or

 

per 67 milliliters of urine or, beginning October 1, 2013, the

 

person had an alcohol content of 0.02 grams or more but less than

 

0.10 grams or more per 100 milliliters of blood, per 210 liters of

 

breath, or per 67 milliliters of urine.

 

     (ii) Any presence of alcohol within a person's body resulting

 

from the consumption of alcoholic liquor, other than the

 

consumption of alcoholic liquor as a part of a generally recognized

 

religious service or ceremony.

 

     (8) If a chemical test described in subsection (6) is

 

administered, the test results shall be made available to the

 

person charged or the person's attorney upon written request to the

 

prosecution, with a copy of the request filed with the court. The

 

prosecution shall furnish the results at least 2 days before the

 

day of the trial. The prosecution shall offer the test results as

 

evidence in that trial. Failure to fully comply with the request

 

bars the admission of the results into evidence by the prosecution.

 

     (9) A person's refusal to submit to a chemical test as

 

provided in subsection (6) is admissible in a criminal prosecution

 

for a crime described in section 625c(1) only to show that a test

 

was offered to the defendant, but not as evidence in determining

 

the defendant's innocence or guilt. The jury shall be instructed

 

accordingly.

 

     Sec. 625c. (1) A person who operates a vehicle upon a public

 

highway or other place open to the general public or generally

 

accessible to motor vehicles, including an area designated for the

 

parking of vehicles, within this state is considered to have given

 


consent to chemical tests of his or her blood, breath, or urine for

 

the purpose of determining the amount of alcohol or presence of a

 

controlled substance or both in his or her blood or urine or the

 

amount of alcohol in his or her breath in all of the following

 

circumstances:

 

     (a)  If the  The person is arrested for a violation of section

 

625(1), (3), (4), (5), (6), (7), or (8), section 625a(5), or

 

section 625m or a local ordinance substantially corresponding to

 

section 625(1), (3), (6), or (8), section 625a(5), or section 625m.

 

     (b)  If the  The person is arrested for felonious driving,

 

negligent homicide, manslaughter, or murder resulting from the

 

operation of a motor vehicle, and the peace officer had reasonable

 

grounds to believe the person was operating the vehicle in

 

violation of section 625.

 

     (c) The person is arrested for a violation of section 306a.

 

     (2) A person who is afflicted with hemophilia, diabetes, or a

 

condition requiring the use of an anticoagulant under the direction

 

of a physician is not considered to have given consent to the

 

withdrawal of blood.

 

     (3) The tests shall be administered as provided in section

 

625a(6).

 

     Sec. 625d. (1) If a person refuses the request of a peace

 

officer to submit to a chemical test offered pursuant to section

 

625a(6), a test shall not be given without a court order, but the

 

officer may seek to obtain the court order.

 

     (2) A written report shall immediately be forwarded to the

 

secretary of state by the peace officer. The report shall state

 


that the officer had reasonable grounds to believe that the person

 

had committed a crime described in section 625c(1), and that the

 

person had refused to submit to the test upon the request of the

 

peace officer and had been advised of the consequences of the

 

refusal. The form of the report shall be prescribed and furnished

 

by the secretary of state. This subsection does not apply to a

 

refusal arising out of an arrest for a violation of section 306a.

 

     Sec. 625e. (1) If a person refuses to submit to a chemical

 

test pursuant to section 625d, the peace officer shall immediately

 

notify the person in writing that within 14 days of the date of the

 

notice the person may request a hearing as provided in section

 

625f. The form of the notice shall be prescribed and furnished by

 

the secretary of state.

 

     (2) The notice shall specifically state that failure to

 

request a hearing within 14 days will result in the suspension of

 

the person's license or permit to drive. The notice shall also

 

state that there is not a requirement that the person retain

 

counsel for the hearing, though counsel would be permitted to

 

represent the person at the hearing.

 

     (3) This section does not apply to a refusal arising out of an

 

arrest for a violation of section 306a.

 

     Sec. 625f. (1) If a person who refuses to submit to a chemical

 

test pursuant to section 625d does not request a hearing within 14

 

days after the date of notice pursuant to  as provided in section

 

625e, the secretary of state shall impose the following license

 

sanctions:

 

     (a) If the person was operating a vehicle other than a

 


commercial motor vehicle, suspend or deny the person's operator's

 

or chauffeur's license or permit to drive, or nonresident operating

 

privilege, for 1 year or, for a second or subsequent refusal within

 

7 years, for 2 years. If the person is a resident without a license

 

or permit to operate a vehicle in the state, the secretary of state

 

shall not issue the person a license or permit for 1 year or, for a

 

second or subsequent refusal within 7 years, for 2 years.

 

     (b) If the person was operating a commercial motor vehicle,

 

for the first refusal, suspend all vehicle group designations on

 

the person's operator's or chauffeur's license or permit or

 

nonresident privilege to operate a commercial motor vehicle or, if

 

the person is a resident without a license or permit to operate a

 

commercial motor vehicle in the state, not issue the person an

 

operator's or chauffeur's license with vehicle group designations,

 

for 1 year.

 

     (c) If the person was operating a commercial motor vehicle,

 

for a second or subsequent refusal that occurred in a separate

 

incident from and within 10 years of a prior refusal, revoke all

 

vehicle group designations on the person's operator's or

 

chauffeur's license or permit or nonresident privilege to operate a

 

commercial motor vehicle or, if the person is a resident without a

 

license or permit to operate a commercial motor vehicle in the

 

state, not issue the person an operator's or chauffeur's license

 

with vehicle group designations, for not less than 10 years and

 

until the person is approved for the issuance of a vehicle group

 

designation.

 

     (d) If the person was operating a commercial motor vehicle and

 


was arrested for an offense enumerated in section 625c other than a

 

violation of section 625a(5) or 625m, impose the license sanction

 

described in subdivision (a) and the license sanction described in

 

subdivision (b) or (c), as applicable.

 

     (2) If a hearing is requested, the secretary of state shall

 

hold the hearing in the same manner and under the same conditions

 

as provided in section 322. Not less than 5 days' notice of the

 

hearing shall be mailed to the person requesting the hearing, to

 

the peace officer who filed the report under section 625d, and if

 

the prosecuting attorney requests receipt of the notice, to the

 

prosecuting attorney of the county where the arrest was made. The

 

hearing officer may administer oaths, issue subpoenas for the

 

attendance of necessary witnesses, and grant a reasonable request

 

for an adjournment. Not more than 1 adjournment shall be granted to

 

a party and the length of an adjournment shall not exceed 14 days.

 

A hearing under this subsection shall be scheduled to be held

 

within 45 days after the date of arrest for the violation. The

 

hearing officer shall not impose any sanction for a failure to

 

comply with these time limits.

 

     (3) Except for delay attributable to the unavailability of the

 

defendant, a witness, or material evidence, or due to an

 

interlocutory appeal or exceptional circumstances, but not a delay

 

caused by docket congestion, a hearing shall be finally adjudicated

 

within 77 days after the date of arrest. The hearing officer shall

 

not impose any sanction for a failure to comply with this time

 

limit.

 

     (4) The hearing shall cover only the following issues:

 


     (a) Whether the peace officer had reasonable grounds to

 

believe that the person had committed a crime described in section

 

625c(1).

 

     (b) Whether the person was placed under arrest for a crime

 

described in section 625c(1).

 

     (c) If the person refused to submit to the test upon the

 

request of the officer, whether the refusal was reasonable.

 

     (d) Whether the person was advised of the rights under section

 

625a(6).

 

     (5) A person shall not order a hearing officer to make a

 

particular finding on any issue enumerated in subsection (4)(a) to

 

(d).

 

     (6) The hearing officer shall make a record of a hearing held

 

pursuant to  under this section. The record shall be prepared and

 

transcribed in accordance with section 86 of the administrative

 

procedures act of 1969, 1969 PA 306, MCL 24.286. Upon notification

 

of the filing of a petition for judicial review pursuant to  under

 

section 323 and not less than 10 days before the matter is set for

 

review, the hearing officer shall transmit to the court in which

 

the petition was filed the original or a certified copy of the

 

official record of the proceedings. Proceedings at which evidence

 

was presented need not be transcribed and transmitted if the sole

 

reason for review is to determine whether the court will order the

 

issuance of a restricted license. The parties to the proceedings

 

for judicial review may stipulate that the record be shortened. A

 

party unreasonably refusing to stipulate to a shortened record may

 

be taxed by the court in which the petition is filed for the

 


additional costs. The court may permit subsequent corrections to

 

the record.

 

     (7) If the person who requested a hearing does not prevail,

 

the secretary of state shall impose the following license sanctions

 

after the hearing:

 

     (a) If the person was operating a vehicle other than a

 

commercial motor vehicle, suspend or deny issuance of a license or

 

driving permit or a nonresident operating privilege of the person

 

for 1 year or, for a second or subsequent refusal within 7 years,

 

for 2 years. If the person is a resident without a license or

 

permit to operate a vehicle in the state, the secretary of state

 

shall not issue the person a license or permit for 1 year or, for a

 

second or subsequent refusal within 7 years, for 2 years. The

 

person may file a petition in the circuit court of the county in

 

which the arrest was made to review the suspension or denial as

 

provided in section 323.

 

     (b) If the person was operating a commercial motor vehicle,

 

impose the sanction prescribed under subsection (1)(b) or (1)(c),

 

as applicable. The person may file a petition in the circuit court

 

of the county in which the arrest was made to review the suspension

 

or denial as provided in section 323.

 

     (c) If the person was operating a commercial motor vehicle and

 

was arrested for an offense enumerated in section 625c other than a

 

violation of section 625a(5) or 625m, impose the license sanctions

 

described in subdivisions (a) and (b).

 

     (8) If the person who requested the hearing prevails, the

 

peace officer who filed the report under section 625d may, with the

 


consent of the prosecuting attorney, file a petition in the circuit

 

court of the county in which the arrest was made to review the

 

determination of the hearing officer as provided in section 323.

 

     (9) When it has been finally determined that a nonresident's

 

privilege to operate a vehicle in the state has been suspended or

 

denied, the department shall give notice in writing of the action

 

taken to the motor vehicle administrator of the state of the

 

person's residence and of each state in which he or she has a

 

license to operate a motor vehicle.

 

     (10) This section does not apply to a refusal arising out of

 

an arrest for a violation of section 306a.