HB 1504, sponsored by Rep. Brad Klippert (R–Kennewick), makes several changes to the impaired driving statutes:

• Defines the circumstances under which a vehicle is "safely off the roadway" for purposes of the defense to the crime of Actual Physical Control of a Motor Vehicle While Under the Influence.
• Grants the court discretion to waive the mandatory minimum sentence for first-time impaired driving offenses and modifies the alternative penalties available on a second or third offense upon a showing of substantial risk to the offender's physical or mental well-being.
• Modifies provisions related to increased penalties for impaired driving cases involving minor passengers.
• Specifies that any portion of a felony impaired driving sentence that is attributed to certain impaired driving-related enhancements is not eligible for good time credits or earned release time.
• Prescribes procedures for circumstances in which a person has fulfilled a period of impaired driving-related driver's license suspension through day-for-day credit from a separate suspension arising from the same incident.
• Makes various changes to the procedures governing, and processes related to, the ignition interlock restriction in impaired driving cases.
• Removes the statutory minimum qualification requirements for forensic phlebotomists, leaving minimum qualifications within the Department of Health rulemaking authority.
• Makes costs incurred through emergency response to an incident caused by an Actual Physical Control While Under the Influence offense eligible for emergency response reimbursement.

AWC supports the bill.

Dates to remember

A substitute version of HB 1504 passed out of the Public Safety Committee in early February; it is now scheduled for a hearing in the House Transportation Committee at 1:30 pm on Monday, February 25.