REPORT TITLE:
DUI; Drugs, Definition


DESCRIPTION:
Changes definition of "drug" for purposes of DUI law.  Makes it
an affirmative defense to the offense of driving under the
influence of drugs that a person was under the influence of
prescription drugs taken as directed.  (SD1)

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                        658
THE SENATE                              S.B. NO.           S.D. 1
TWENTIETH LEGISLATURE, 1999                                
STATE OF HAWAII                                            
                                                             
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                   A  BILL  FOR  AN  ACT

RELATING TO DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF DRUGS.
 


BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

 1      SECTION 1.  Section 291-7, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is
 
 2 amended to read as follows:
 
 3      "§291-7 Driving under the influence of drugs.(a)  A
 
 4 person commits the offense of driving under the influence of
 
 5 drugs if the person operates or assumes actual physical control
 
 6 of the operation of any vehicle while under the influence of any
 
 7 drug [which] that impairs [such] the person's ability to operate
 
 8 the vehicle in a careful and prudent manner.  The term "drug" as
 
 9 used in this section [shall mean any controlled substance as
 
10 defined and enumerated on schedules I through IV of chapter 329.]
 
11 means any chemical substance, natural or synthetic, that, when
 
12 taken into the human body, can impair the ability of the person's
 
13 normal mental faculties or ability to care for the person and
 
14 guard against casualty.
 
15      (b)  It shall be an affirmative defense to the offense of
 
16 driving under the influence of drugs that the person was taking a
 
17 prescription drug, other than a controlled substance as defined
 
18 and enumerated on schedules I to IV of chapter 329; provided
 
19 that:
 

 
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 1      (1)  The person took the drug as directed; and
 
 2      (2)  At the time the prescription was issued, the person
 
 3           informed the prescribing authority of any other drugs
 
 4           the person was taking.
 
 5      [(b)] (c)  A person committing the offense of driving under
 
 6 the influence of drugs shall be sentenced as follows without
 
 7 possibility of probation or suspension of sentence:
 
 8      (1)  For a first offense, or any offense not preceded within
 
 9           a five-year period by a conviction under this section,
 
10           by:
 
11           (A)  A fourteen-hour minimum drug abuse rehabilitation
 
12                program, including education and counseling, or
 
13                other comparable programs deemed appropriate by
 
14                the court; and
 
15           (B)  Ninety-day prompt suspension of license with
 
16                absolute prohibition from operating a motor
 
17                vehicle during suspension of license, or the court
 
18                may impose, in lieu of the ninety-day prompt
 
19                suspension of license, a minimum thirty-day prompt
 
20                suspension of license with absolute prohibition
 
21                from operating a motor vehicle and, for the
 
22                remainder of the ninety-day period, a restriction
 
23                on the license that allows the person to drive for
 

 
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 1                limited work-related purposes and to participate
 
 2                in drug treatment programs; and
 
 3           (C)  Any one or more of the following:
 
 4                (i)  Seventy-two hours of community service work;
 
 5               (ii)  Not less than forty-eight hours of
 
 6                     imprisonment; or
 
 7              (iii)  A fine of not less than $150 but not more
 
 8                     than $1,000.
 
 9      (2)  For an offense which occurs within five years of a
 
10           prior conviction under this section:
 
11           (A)  Prompt suspension of license for a period of one
 
12                year with the absolute prohibition from operating
 
13                a motor vehicle during suspension of license;
 
14           (B)  Either one of the following:
 
15                (i)  Not less than eighty hours of community
 
16                     service work; or
 
17               (ii)  Not less than forty-eight consecutive hours
 
18                     of imprisonment; and
 
19           (C)  A fine of not less than $500 but not more than
 
20                $1,000.
 
21      (3)  For an offense which occurs within five years of two
 
22           prior convictions under this section, by:
 
23           (A)  A fine of not less than $500 but not more than
 

 
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 1                $1,000;
 
 2           (B)  Revocation of license for a period not less than
 
 3                one year but not more than five years; and
 
 4           (C)  Not less than ten days but not more than one
 
 5                hundred eighty days imprisonment.
 
 6      (4)  Notwithstanding any other law to the contrary, any
 
 7           conviction for driving under the influence of drugs
 
 8           shall be considered a prior conviction.
 
 9      [(c)] (d)  Whenever a court sentences a person pursuant to
 
10 subsection [(b)(2)] (c)(2) or (3), it shall also require that the
 
11 offender be referred to a substance abuse counselor who has been
 
12 certified pursuant to section 321-193 for an assessment of the
 
13 offender's drug dependence and the need for treatment.  The
 
14 counselor shall submit a report with recommendations to the
 
15 court.  The court may require the offender to obtain appropriate
 
16 treatment.
 
17      All costs for such assessment or treatment or both shall be
 
18 borne by the offender.
 
19      [(d)] (e)  Notwithstanding any other law to the contrary,
 
20 whenever a court revokes a person's driver's license pursuant to
 
21 the provisions of this section, the examiner of drivers shall not
 
22 grant to such person an application for a new driver's license
 
23 for such period as specified by the court.
 

 
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 1      [(e)] (f)  As used in this section, the terms "driver",
 
 2 "driver's license", and "examiner of drivers" shall have the same
 
 3 meanings as provided in section 286-2; and the term "vehicle"
 
 4 shall have the same meaning as provided in section 291C-1."
 
 5      SECTION 2.  This Act does not affect rights and duties that
 
 6 matured, penalties that were incurred, and proceedings that were
 
 7 begun, before its effective date.
 
 8      SECTION 3.  Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed.
 
 9 New statutory material is underscored.
 
10      SECTION 4.  This Act shall take effect July 1, 2000.