House Bill 3511c1

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    Florida House of Representatives - 1998             CS/HB 3511

        By the Committee on Law Enforcement & Public Safety and
    Representative Constantine





  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to driver license revocations;

  3         amending s. 322.26, F.S.; providing for

  4         permanent revocation of a driver license for

  5         murder resulting from the operation of a motor

  6         vehicle and for vehicular homicide; amending s.

  7         322.271, F.S.; providing for petition for

  8         reinstatement under certain circumstances;

  9         creating s. 322.275, F.S.; providing for the

10         authority of the court to authorize

11         reinstatement of permanently revoked driver

12         license; amending s. 322.28, F.S.; revising

13         language with respect to the period of

14         suspension or revocation; conforming current

15         language to the act; creating s. 322.283, F.S.;

16         providing for the commencement of the period of

17         suspension or revocation for incarcerated

18         offenders; providing for notification to the

19         Department of Highway Safety and Motor

20         Vehicles; creating s. 322.341, F.S.; providing

21         penalties for driving while a license is

22         permanently revoked; providing an effective

23         date.

24

25  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

26

27         Section 1.  Subsection (1) of section 322.26, Florida

28  Statutes, is amended to read:

29         322.26  Mandatory revocation of license by

30  department.--The department shall forthwith revoke the license

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  1  or driving privilege of any person upon receiving a record of

  2  such person's conviction of any of the following offenses:

  3         (1)(a)  Murder resulting from the operation of a motor

  4  vehicle. For such cases, the revocation of the driver's

  5  license or driving privilege shall be permanent.

  6         (b)  Manslaughter resulting from the operation of a

  7  motor vehicle, vehicular homicide, or a violation of s.

  8  322.34(6) involving death. For such cases, the revocation of

  9  the driver's license or driving privilege shall be permanent,

10  except as provided in s. 322.271(4).

11         Section 2.  Paragraph (b) of subsection (1) and

12  subsection (4) of section 322.271, Florida Statutes, are

13  amended to read:

14         322.271  Authority to modify revocation, cancellation,

15  or suspension order.--

16         (1)

17         (b)  A person whose driving privilege has been revoked

18  under s. 322.27(5) may, upon expiration of 12 months from the

19  date of such revocation, petition the department for

20  reinstatement restoration of his or her driving privilege.

21  Upon such petition and after investigation of the person's

22  qualification, fitness, and need to drive, the department

23  shall hold a hearing pursuant to chapter 120 to determine

24  whether the driving privilege shall be reinstated restored on

25  a restricted basis solely for business or employment purposes.

26         (4)(a)  If expressly authorized by the court pursuant

27  to s. 322.275 Notwithstanding the provisions of s.

28  322.28(2)(e), a person whose driving privilege has been

29  permanently revoked because he or she has been convicted four

30  times of violating s. 316.193 or former s. 316.1931 or because

31  he or she has been convicted of DUI manslaughter in violation

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  1  of s. 316.193 may, upon the expiration of 5 years after the

  2  date of such revocation or the expiration of 5 years after the

  3  termination of any term of incarceration under s. 316.193 or

  4  former s. 316.1931, whichever date is later, petition the

  5  department for reinstatement of his or her driving privilege.

  6         1.(a)  Within 30 days after the receipt of such a

  7  petition, the department shall afford the petitioner an

  8  opportunity for a hearing.  At the hearing, the petitioner

  9  must demonstrate to the department that he or she:

10         a.1.  Has not been arrested for a drug-related offense

11  during the 5 years preceding the filing of the petition;

12         b.2.  Has not driven a motor vehicle without a license

13  for at least 5 years prior to the hearing;

14         c.3.  Has been drug-free for at least 5 years prior to

15  the hearing; and

16         d.4.  Has completed a DUI program licensed by the

17  department.

18         2.(b)  At such hearing, the department shall determine

19  the petitioner's qualification, fitness, and need to drive.

20  Upon such determination, the department may, in its

21  discretion, reinstate the driver's license of the petitioner.

22  Such reinstatement must be made subject to the following

23  qualifications:

24         a.1.  The license must be restricted for employment

25  purposes for not less than 1 year; and

26         b.2.  Such person must be supervised by a DUI program

27  licensed by the department and report to the program for such

28  supervision and education at least four times a year or

29  additionally as required by the program for the remainder of

30  the revocation period.  Such supervision shall include

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  1  evaluation, education, referral into treatment, and other

  2  activities required by the department.

  3         3.(c)  Such person must assume the reasonable costs of

  4  supervision.  If such person fails to comply with the required

  5  supervision, the program shall report the failure to the

  6  department, and the department shall cancel such person's

  7  driving privilege.

  8         4.(d)  If, after reinstatement, such person is

  9  convicted of an offense for which mandatory revocation of his

10  or her license is required, the department shall revoke his or

11  her driving privilege.

12         5.(e)  The department shall adopt rules regulating the

13  providing of services by DUI programs pursuant to this

14  section.

15         (b)  If expressly authorized by the court pursuant to

16  s. 322.275, a person whose driving privilege has been

17  permanently revoked for manslaughter by operation of a motor

18  vehicle, vehicular homicide, or a violation of s. 322.34(6)

19  involving death may, upon expiration of 5 years from the date

20  of such revocation, petition the department for reinstatement

21  of his or her driving privilege. Upon such petition and after

22  investigation of the person's qualification, fitness, and need

23  to drive, the department shall hold a hearing pursuant to

24  chapter 120 to determine whether the driving privilege shall

25  be reinstated on a restricted basis solely for business or

26  employment purposes. Under no circumstances shall the driver's

27  license or driving privilege of any such person be reinstated

28  if the person has been convicted of a violation of s. 322.341

29  or any other driving offense resulting in incarceration,

30  regardless of whether adjudication has been withheld,

31  occurring within the 5 years prior to the request for a

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  1  hearing. No person may petition the department for

  2  reinstatement of his or her driver's license or driving

  3  privilege during any time such person has a formal charge for

  4  violation of s. 322.341 pending before a court.

  5         Section 3.  Section 322.275, Florida Statutes, is

  6  created to read:

  7         322.275  Authority of the court to authorize

  8  reinstatement of permanently revoked driver's license.--

  9         (1)  For any offense provided in s. 322.28(2)(f)2., the

10  court may authorize a defendant to petition the department for

11  reinstatement of his or her driver's license or driving

12  privilege if, at the time of sentencing, the court finds that

13  the defendant has no previous convictions, regardless of

14  whether adjudication has been withheld, for any of the

15  following:

16         (a)  Any violation of s. 316.193, former s. 316.1931,

17  or former s. 860.01;

18         (b)  Three or more violations of s. 322.34(2) or s.

19  322.34(5), driving a motor vehicle while his or her driver's

20  license or driving privilege has been suspended, canceled, or

21  revoked;

22         (c)  Any violation of s. 322.34(6), driving a motor

23  vehicle while his or her driver's license or driving privilege

24  has been suspended, canceled, or revoked, causing death;

25         (d)  Reckless driving;

26         (e)  Vehicular homicide; or

27         (f)  Manslaughter resulting from the operation of a

28  motor vehicle.

29

30  For purposes of this subsection, a violation of any federal

31  law, or law of another state, or law of the District of

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  1  Columbia, or law of any territory of the United States,

  2  similar in statutory prohibition as those offenses provided in

  3  this subsection, shall be counted to the same extent as a

  4  violation under Florida law.

  5         (2)  For a fourth or subsequent conviction for a

  6  violation of s. 316.193 or former s. 316.1931, when three or

  7  more of the previous convictions have not occurred within the

  8  preceding 5 years, the court may, in its discretion, authorize

  9  a defendant to petition the department for reinstatement of

10  his or her driver's license or driving privilege if, at the

11  time of sentencing, the court finds that the defendant does

12  not pose a significant risk to public safety.

13         (3)  Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (1)

14  or subsection (2), the court may not authorize reinstatement

15  of a driver's license which has been permanently revoked for

16  any offense provided in s. 322.28(2)(f)2. if at the time such

17  offense was committed the defendant was a habitual traffic

18  offender as defined under s. 322.264.

19         Section 4.  Paragraph (e) of subsection (2) and

20  paragraph (a) of subsection (5) of section 322.28, Florida

21  Statutes, are amended, and paragraph (f) is added to

22  subsection (2) of said section, to read:

23         322.28  Period of suspension or revocation.--

24         (2)  In a prosecution for a violation of s. 316.193 or

25  former s. 316.1931, the following provisions apply:

26         (e)  The court shall permanently revoke the driver's

27  license or driving privilege of a person who has been

28  convicted four times for violation of s. 316.193 or former s.

29  316.1931 or a combination of such sections.  The court shall

30  permanently revoke the driver's license or driving privilege

31  of any person who has been convicted of DUI manslaughter in

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  1  violation of s. 316.193.  If the court has not permanently

  2  revoked such driver's license or driving privilege within 30

  3  days after imposing sentence, the department shall permanently

  4  revoke the driver's license or driving privilege pursuant to

  5  this paragraph.  No driver's license or driving privilege may

  6  be issued or granted to any such person. This paragraph

  7  applies only if at least one of the convictions for violation

  8  of s. 316.193 or former s. 316.1931 was for a violation that

  9  occurred after July 1, 1982.  For the purposes of this

10  paragraph, a conviction for violation of former s. 316.028,

11  former s. 316.1931, or former s. 860.01 is also considered a

12  conviction for violation of s. 316.193.  Also, a conviction of

13  driving under the influence, driving while intoxicated,

14  driving with an unlawful blood-alcohol level, or any other

15  similar alcohol-related or drug-related traffic offense

16  outside this state is considered a conviction for the purposes

17  of this paragraph.

18         (f)1.  The court shall permanently revoke the driver's

19  license or driving privilege of a person who has been

20  convicted of murder resulting from the operation of a motor

21  vehicle. No driver's license or driving privilege may be

22  issued or granted to any such person.

23         2.  The court shall permanently revoke the driver's

24  license or driving privilege of a person who has been

25  convicted of manslaughter resulting from the operation of a

26  motor vehicle, DUI manslaughter in violation of s. 316.193,

27  vehicular homicide, or a violation of s. 322.34(6) involving

28  death. If the court has not permanently revoked such driver's

29  license or driving privilege within 30 days after imposing

30  sentence, the department shall permanently revoke the driver's

31  license or driving privilege pursuant to this paragraph. No

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  1  driver's license or driving privilege may be issued or granted

  2  to any such person, unless expressly authorized by the court

  3  pursuant to s. 322.275.

  4         (5)(a)  Upon a conviction for a violation of s.

  5  316.193(3)(c)2., involving serious bodily injury, a conviction

  6  of manslaughter resulting from the operation of a motor

  7  vehicle, or a conviction of vehicular homicide, the court

  8  shall revoke the driver's license of the person convicted for

  9  a minimum period of 3 years if death to any other person

10  resulted from the operation of a motor vehicle by such driver.

11  In the event that a conviction under s. 316.193(3)(c)2.,

12  involving serious bodily injury, is also a subsequent

13  conviction as described under paragraph (2)(a), the court

14  shall revoke the driver's license or driving privilege of the

15  person convicted for the period applicable as provided in

16  paragraph (2)(a) or paragraph (2)(e).

17         Section 5.  Section 322.283, Florida Statutes, is

18  created to read:

19         322.283  Commencement of period of suspension or

20  revocation for incarcerated offenders.--

21         (1)  For criminal traffic offenses when the court

22  orders the defendant to serve a term of incarceration or

23  imprisonment, and the defendant's driver's license or driving

24  privilege is suspended or revoked as a result of such offense,

25  the period of suspension or revocation shall commence upon the

26  defendant's release from incarceration. For purposes of

27  calculating the defendant's eligibility for reinstatement of

28  his or her driver's license or driving privilege under this

29  section, the date of the defendant's release from

30  incarceration shall be deemed the date the suspension or

31  revocation period was imposed.

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  1         (2)  For defendants convicted of a criminal traffic

  2  offense and sentenced to imprisonment with the Department of

  3  Corrections, the Department of Corrections shall notify the

  4  Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles of the date of

  5  the defendant's release from prison or other state

  6  correctional facility. For defendants convicted of a criminal

  7  traffic offense and sentenced to incarceration within the

  8  jurisdictional county jail or other correctional facility

  9  operated by the jurisdictional county, the sheriff of the

10  jurisdictional county wherein the defendant is incarcerated

11  shall notify the Department of Highway Safety and Motor

12  Vehicles of the date of the defendant's release from the

13  county jail or other correctional facility. The notification

14  of a defendant's release from incarceration shall be on a form

15  approved by the Department of Highway Safety and Motor

16  Vehicles. This subsection shall only apply to those defendants

17  who have had their driver's license or driving privilege

18  suspended or revoked as a result of the offense for which they

19  are incarcerated or imprisoned.

20         Section 6.  Section 322.341, Florida Statutes, is

21  created to read:

22         322.341  Driving while license permanently

23  revoked.--Any person whose driver's license or driving

24  privilege has been permanently revoked pursuant to s. 322.26

25  or s. 322.28, and who drives a motor vehicle upon the highways

26  of this state, is guilty of a felony of the third degree,

27  punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, or s.

28  775.084. Any person convicted under this section shall be

29  sentenced to a minimum term of imprisonment of 2 years.

30         Section 7.  This act shall take effect July 1, 1999.

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