HOUSE BILL NO. 514 Offered January 11, 2006 Prefiled January 9, 2006 A BILL to amend and reenact § 18.2-268.9 of the Code of Virginia, relating to evidence admissible to verify accuracy of DUI breath tests. ---------- Patron-- Armstrong ---------- Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice ----------

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1.  That § 18.2-268.9 of the Code of Virginia is amended and reenacted as follows:

§ 18.2-268.9. Assurance of breath-test validity; use of test results as evidence.

To be capable of being considered valid as evidence in a prosecution under § 18.2-266, 18.2-266.1, or subsection B of § 18.2-272, or a similar ordinance, chemical analysis of a person's breath shall be performed by an individual possessing a valid license to conduct such tests, with a type of equipment and in accordance with methods approved by the Department. The Department shall test the accuracy of the breath-testing equipment at least once every six months.

The Department shall establish a training program for all individuals who are to administer the breath tests. Upon a person's successful completion of the training program, the Department may license him to conduct breath-test analyses. Such license shall identify the specific types of breath test equipment upon which the individual has successfully completed training.

Any individual conducting a breath test under the provisions of § 18.2-268.2 shall issue a certificate which will indicate that the test was conducted in accordance with the Department's specifications, the equipment on which the breath test was conducted has been tested within the past six months and has been found to be accurate, the name of the accused, that prior to administration of the test the accused was advised of his right to observe the process and see the blood alcohol reading on the equipment used to perform the breath test, the date and time the sample was taken from the accused, the sample's alcohol content, and the name of the person who examined the sample. This certificate, when attested by the individual conducting the breath test, shall be admissible in any court in any criminal or civil proceeding as evidence of the facts therein stated and of the results of such analysis. Any such certificate of analysis purporting to be signed by a person authorized by the Department shall be admissible in evidence without proof of seal or signature of the person whose name is signed to it. A copy of the certificate shall be promptly delivered to the accused. Other evidence admissible in any court in any criminal or civil proceeding as evidence of the validity and accuracy of an individual's blood alcohol breath test shall include any and all documentation within the control of the Department indicating the accuracy and efficacy of the conduct of the tests performed and the accuracy and efficacy of the instrumentation used to ascertain the blood alcohol content. Such documentation shall specifically include, but shall not be limited to, breath test equipment logs, certification and repair records, and certificates of accuracy and shall be admitted as evidence upon their qualification as accurate records by the Department.

The officer making the arrest, or anyone with him at the time of the arrest, or anyone participating in the arrest of the accused, if otherwise qualified to conduct such test as provided by this section, may administer the breath test and analyze the results.