Greater City Providence
Rhode Island State House

A cornucopia of highway safety bills at House Judiciary – March 5, 2013

Rhode Island State House

The General Assembly House Judiciary Committee will have hearings on the following bills Tuesday, March 5th:


Subject: House Committee on Judiciary Hearing scheduled for Tuesday, March 5, 2013 at the Rise in the House Lounge

[alert type=”muted”]HOUSE COMMITTEE ON JUDICIARY
NOTICE OF MEETING
DATE: Tuesday, March 05, 2013
TIME: Rise of the House (around 4:30pm)
PLACE: House Lounge – State House[/alert]

SCHEDULED FOR HEARING AND/OR CONSIDERATION

House Bill No. 5061

BY Corvese, Malik, Palangio, Ucci, Azzinaro

ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO MOTOR AND OTHER VEHICLES — PASSING, USING OF LANES, AND RULES OF THE ROAD {LC49/1} (would create additional penalties for motor vehicle violations at intersections and rights-of-way that cause serious bodily injury or death)

01/10/2013 Introduced, referred to House Judiciary
03/01/2013 Scheduled for hearing and/or consideration


House Bill No. 5101

BY Palumbo

ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO MOTOR AND OTHER VEHICLES – MISCELLANEOUS RULES {LC322/1} (would prohibit dogs from sitting on the lap of a motor vehicle operator. Any person in violation of such would be subject to fines)

01/16/2013 Introduced, referred to House Judiciary
03/01/2013 Scheduled for hearing and/or consideration


House Bill No. 5149

BY O’Neill, Gallison, Lally, Amore, Jacquard

ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO MOTOR AND OTHER VEHICLES — MOTOR VEHICLE OFFENSES {LC591/1} (would grant judges and magistrates the authority to prohibit drivers adjudicated of certain motor vehicle offenses from operating a motor vehicle not equipped with an ignition interlock system)

01/23/2013 Introduced, referred to House Judiciary
03/01/2013 Scheduled for hearing and/or consideration


House Bill No. 5160

BY Ucci, O’Brien, Marshall, Fellela, Martin

ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO MOTOR AND OTHER VEHICLES – ADJUDICATION OF TRAFFIC OFFENSES – EXPUNGEMENT BASED ON GOOD DRIVING RECORD {LC566/1} (would allow the expungement of traffic offenses adjudicated in other jurisdictions by operation of law pursuant to the provisions of the Rhode Island good driving record statute and their deletion from the records of the division of motor vehicles)

01/24/2013 Introduced, referred to House Judiciary
03/01/2013 Scheduled for hearing and/or consideration


House Bill No. 5177

BY Lombardi, O’Neill, Canario, Craven

ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO MOTOR AND OTHER VEHICLES – ACCIDENTS AND ACCIDENT REPORTS {LC674/1} (would increase the penalties and fines for the various motor vehicle offenses involving leaving the scene of an accident)

01/29/2013 Introduced, referred to House Judiciary
03/01/2013 Scheduled for hearing and/or consideration


House Bill No. 5206 (by request)

BY Edwards

ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO MOTOR AND OTHER VEHICLES — MOTOR VEHICLE OFFENSES {LC759/1} (would give the division of motor vehicles the ability to grant a conditional work license to offenders who have had not more than two (2) convictions in driving under the influence cases)

01/30/2013 Introduced, referred to House Judiciary
03/01/2013 Scheduled for hearing and/or consideration


House Bill No. 5338 (Attorney General)

BY Gallison, McNamara, Serpa, Canario, Marshall

ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO MOTOR AND OTHER VEHICLES – MOTOR VEHICLE OFFENSES {LC964/1} (would grant judges and magistrates the authority to prohibit drivers adjudicated of certain motor vehicle offenses from operating a motor vehicle not equipped with an ignition interlock system)

02/07/2013 Introduced, referred to House Judiciary
03/01/2013 Scheduled for hearing and/or consideration


House Bill No. 5379 (Attorney General)

BY Walsh, Almeida, Kennedy, Craven, Ruggiero

ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO MOTOR AND OTHER VEHICLES – MOTOR VEHICLE OFFENSES {LC958/1} (would increase imprisonment penalties for driving so as to endanger, resulting in death and driving so as to endanger resulting in personal injury)

02/12/2013 Introduced, referred to House Judiciary
03/01/2013 Scheduled for hearing and/or consideration


House Bill No. 5432 (Attorney General)

BY Lally, Keable

ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO MOTOR AND OTHER VEHICLES – MOTOR VEHICLE OFFENSES {LC955/1} (would decrease the maximum blood alcohol concentration for a person 18 years to 20 years when charged for driving while impaired from less than one-tenth of one percent (.1%) to less than eight one-hundredths of one percent (.08%) by weight)

02/13/2013 Introduced, referred to House Judiciary
03/01/2013 Scheduled for hearing and/or consideration


House Bill No. 5505 (Attorney General)

BY Walsh, Hearn

ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO MOTOR AND OTHER VEHICLES – MOTOR VEHICLE OFFENSES {LC961/1} (would extend the “lookback” period for third and subsequent offenses under the driving under the influence of liquor or drugs law (section 31-27-2) and the refusal to submit to a chemical test law (section 31-27-2.1) from five (5) years to ten (10) years)

02/14/2013 Introduced, referred to House Judiciary
03/01/2013 Scheduled for hearing and/or consideration


House Bill No. 5569

BY Lima, Lombardi, McNamara, Shekarchi

ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO MOTOR AND OTHER VEHICLES — MISCELLANEOUS RULES {LC988/1} (would provide for additional penalties for persons found guilty of texting while driving including the installation of a device in their vehicle which prevents text messaging and cell phone calls)

02/14/2013 Introduced, referred to House Judiciary
03/01/2013 Scheduled for hearing and/or consideration


House Bill No. 5664 (by request)

BY Mattiello, Craven, Shekarchi, Gallison, Jacquard

ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO MOTOR AND OTHER VEHICLES — ADJUDICATION OF TRAFFIC OFFENSES {LC1626/1} (provide for the expungement of alcohol related offenses after five (5) years as opposed to three (3) so as to be consistent with the five (5) year look back period for cases provided in section 31-27-2.1)

02/27/2013 Introduced, referred to House Judiciary
03/01/2013 Scheduled for hearing and/or consideration


House Bill No. 5666 (Governor)

BY Craven, Lombardi, Shekarchi, O’Neill

ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO MOTOR AND OTHER VEHICLES – MOTOR VEHICLE OFFENSES {LC1717/1} (would increase the fines and penalties of operating under the influence of alcohol or a controlled substance with a child under thirteen (13) years of age by making it a felony offense)

02/27/2013 Introduced, referred to House Judiciary
03/01/2013 Scheduled for hearing and/or consideration


House Bill No. 5675 (Attorney General)

BY Serpa

ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO MOTOR AND OTHER VEHICLES – MISCELLANEOUS RULES {LC1315/1} (would increase the penalty for second or subsequent violations of the offense of texting while driving to include the suspension of an operator’s driving license in the discretion of the RI traffic tribunal in addition to a monetary fine)

02/27/2013 Introduced, referred to House Judiciary
03/01/2013 Scheduled for hearing and/or consideration


House Bill No. 5691

BY Lally

ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO MOTOR AND OTHER VEHICLES — MOTOR VEHICLE OFFENSES {LC1722/1} (provide that a person convicted of 4 moving violations in a 18 month period be subject to a $1,000 fine, up to 60 hours of community service, driver retraining, suspension of license for up to 1 year or license revocation for a period of up to 2 years)

02/27/2013 Introduced, referred to House Judiciary
03/01/2013 Scheduled for hearing and/or consideration


House Bill No. 5774

BY Amore, O’Neill, Valencia, Ackerman, Baldelli-Hunt

ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO MOTOR AND OTHER VEHICLES – MOTOR VEHICLE OFFENSES {LC1073/1} (would mandate the installation of ignition interlock systems after convictions for driving under the influence or refusal.)

02/28/2013 Introduced, referred to House Judiciary
03/01/2013 Scheduled for hearing and/or consideration


House Bill No. 5777

BY Tanzi, Handy, Tomasso, Winfield, Martin

ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO MOTOR AND OTHER VEHICLES – PASSING, USE OF LANES, AND RULES OF THE ROAD {LC305/1} (would provide a penalty for failing to exercise due care to avoid colliding with a vulnerable road user.)

02/28/2013 Introduced, referred to House Judiciary
03/01/2013 Scheduled for hearing and/or consideration


House Bill No. 5779

BY McLaughlin, MacBeth, Phillips, Bennett, Hull

ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO MOTOR AND OTHER VEHICLES — THE MEDEIROS/CARPENTER SAFE DRIVING ACT {LC1799/1}

02/28/2013 Introduced, referred to House Judiciary
03/01/2013 Scheduled for hearing and/or consideration

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5 comments

  • Driving with a dog on your lap is currently legal?!?!?!?!

    And I don’t know why they don’t just ban all handheld cell phone usage rather than simply texting. I can’t tell you how many people I see driving while talking on the phone, running stop signs, changing lanes without looking, turning into traffic without paying attention, and just driving erratically…

  • Depending on how to implement House Bill No. 5569 about the blocking of service in a vehicle – they had better check with the FCC on that one.

  • There’s much talk of “complete streets” to serve all highway users, but RI has little opportunity for infrastucture improvements. Yet all road users would be safer if we could do more to combat dangerous driving – driving drunk, distracted, or recklessly. This will take education, enforcement, and cloing loopholes in the law. For example, as it is now, a careles driver who kills or injures someone faces almost no penalties unless they were criminally drunk, a hit-and-run or knowingly drove in reckless disregard for the safety of others. This situation is addressed in H5061 and H5777 in the post.

    I hope those interested in highway safety can attend the Tuesday hearings, part of what is cool about RI is how it is possible for almost anyone to speak at legislative hearings.

  • Ha ha ha. H5101 apparently would prohibit dogs from riding on the driver’s lap. My girlfriend’s cat likes to stand behind the steering wheel. So I guess we don’t have to worry. Why not prohibit all animals — not just dogs. And what if the dog were standing, instead of sitting? What inept draftsmanship! Only in RI.

    Barry — yes, anyone can testify, but don’t go in a car. You’ll be certain to get a ticket if the hearing is delayed, as the hearings almost always drag on into the night. Sometimes I suspect they delay the hearings deliberately so as to maximize the ticketing recovery.

  • Really, there should be a law that pets need to be restrained somehow. Example: they make harnesses for dogs that attach to the seatbelt. It’s safer for the dog and for the people (dogs moving around in cars are a distraction and dogs flying forward during an accident are a hazard). They also make dog barriers for station wagons and SUV’s (I have one) where you can keep the dog in the “trunk”. As for cats… they should be in cat carriers. I usually seat belt mine in the back seat when I’m driving long distances. It’s protects the cat and the human. This is all common sense and why it puzzles me that it’s currently perfectly legal to drive with a dog on your lap. I don’t care if Fluffy gets stressed in the car. Safety is more important.

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