To mandate the immediate impoundment of a motor vehicle involved in a DUI arrest for at least twelve hours. The bill is named “Hailey’s Act,” after Hailey French, who suffered life threatening injuries in a DUI accident in 2009 by a driver who had been arrested for DUI just hours before the accident. Makes the primary reason for impoundment public safety, rather than obstruction of traffic and eliminates officer discretion in ordering impoundment. If the owner of the vehicle is not the person involved in the DUI arrest, he/she may pick up the vehicle after initial impoundment, before 12 hours have elapsed (Companion: HB 1017).   Official Text and Analysis.

To replace the word operator with driver. If the vehicle subject to impoundment is a commercial vehicle, the police officer must attempt, in a reasonable and timely manner, to contact the owner of the vehicle and may release it to the owner as long as he or she was not in the vehicle at the time of the stop and arrest.

To provide a definition of farm transport vehicle that includes them with commercial vehicles, which requires that the police officer must attempt to contact the owner of the vehicle and may release it to the owner as long as the owner was not in the vehicle at the time of the stop and arrest.

Adds a technical amendment to correct a drafting error. Adds farm transport vehicles to commercial vehicles on page 3 where it was left off in error. This amendment does not change the intent of the bill as it was passed out of the transportation committee.

Requires the immediate impoundment of a motor vehicle involved in a DUI arrest for at least twelve hours. The bill is named “Hailey’s Act,” after Hailey French, who suffered life threatening injuries in a DUI accident in 2009 by a driver who had been arrested for DUI just hours before the accident. Makes the primary reason for impoundment public safety, rather than obstruction of traffic and eliminates officer discretion in ordering impoundment. If the owner of the vehicle is not the person involved in the DUI arrest, he/she may pick up the vehicle after initial impoundment, before 12 hours have elapsed. If the vehicle subject to impoundment is a commercial vehicle, including farm transport vehicles, the police officer must attempt, in a reasonable and timely manner, to contact the owner of the vehicle and may release it to the owner as long as he or she was not in the vehicle at the time of the stop and arrest.

To change the thirty-minute time period from beginning when the registered tow truck operator was dispatched to beginning when the police officer contacts the police dispatcher requesting the registered tow truck operator.

To protect the public from an intoxicated person operating a vehicle by impounding the vehicle driven by a person arrested for DUI. When a law enforcement officer arrests a person for DUI, the officer must impound the vehicle, which may not be redeemed until 12 hours after the vehicle arrives at the tow truck operator's storage facility.

Senate concurred with House amendments.

To protect the public from an intoxicated person operating a vehicle by impounding the vehicle driven by a person arrested for DUI. When a law enforcement officer arrests a person for DUI, the officer must impound the vehicle, which may not be redeemed until 12 hours after the vehicle arrives at the tow truck operator's storage facility.