Drivers' license; suspension for nonpayment of fines or costs. (SB578)
Introduced By
Sen. Adam Ebbin (D-Alexandria) with support from co-patron Del. Mark Levine (D-Alexandria)
Progress
✓ |
Introduced |
✗ |
Passed Committee |
☐ |
Passed House |
☐ |
Passed Senate |
☐ |
Signed by Governor |
☐ |
Became Law |
Description
Suspension of driver's license for nonpayment of fines or costs. Removes the requirement that a court suspend the driver's license of a person convicted of any violation of the law who fails or refuses to provide for immediate payment of fines or costs. The bill allows a court, after 90 days of nonpayment where the court finds the nonpayment was not an intentional refusal to obey the sentence of the court, to provide additional time for payment, reduce the amount of each payment installment, assign community service in lieu of payment, or waive the unpaid portion in whole or in part. Upon a finding that the nonpayment was an intentional refusal to obey the sentence of the court, a court may suspend the defendant's driver's license until payment in full or until the defendant enters into a payment plan. Read the Bill »
Status
01/29/2018: Failed to Pass in Committee
History
Date | Action |
---|---|
01/09/2018 | Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/10/18 18102708D |
01/09/2018 | Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice |
01/26/2018 | Impact statement from DPB (SB578) |
01/29/2018 | Continued to 2019 in Courts of Justice (15-Y 0-N) (see vote tally) |
Comments
The ACLU of VA strongly supports repealing laws that suspends a person's driver's license for any reason unrelated to bad driving. These provisions in the law disproportionately affect lower-income drivers and do nothing to improve road safety. Police have also used Driver's License checkpoints to target minorities and immigrant communities around the Commonwealth, further increasing the disparity of how these provisions in the law are enforced.