Intoxicated operation of all-terrain vehicles, snowmobiles, motorboats, and motor vehicles, snowmobile safety instruction for persons under 16 years of age, and providing penalties

Under current law, in imposing a penalty for a violation of the intoxicated operation of an ATV, the intoxicated boating, or the intoxicated snowmobiling law, a court may only count as a previous conviction of the same law, or the applicable refusal law. For example, if a person is before the court for violating the intoxicated snowmobiling law or the snowmobile refusal law, the court may count only previous convictions of the intoxicated snowmobiling law and the snowmobile refusal law as prior convictions. Previous convictions of the intoxicated operation of an ATV law or of the intoxicated boating law or of the applicable refusal laws may not be counted.

Under this bill, a court must count previous convictions of any of these intoxicated operation or refusal laws that occurred within the previous five years when imposing a penalty for a violation of any of these laws.

The bill makes the provisions of the intoxicated operation of an ATV, the intoxicated boating, and the intoxicated snowmobiling laws more consistent. These changes include:

1. Raising the age of absolute sobriety for the operation of snowmobiles and ATVs to 21. Current law requires absolute sobriety for persons under the age of 19 who are operating snowmobiles and ATVs and for persons under the age of 21 for motorboats.

2. Adopting the higher penalties for various violations where the penalties for violations of the intoxicated operation of an ATV law, the intoxicated boating law, the intoxicated snowmobiling law, and the refusal law conflict.

3. Imposing increased penalties for violating the intoxicating boating law or the intoxicated snowmobiling law or related refusal law if the motorboat or snowmobile is operated with a passenger under 16 years of age. The increased penalty already exists for a violation of the intoxicated operation of an ATV law and the ATV refusal law.

4. Repealing the provisions that imposed increased penalties for operating an ATV with an alcohol concentration level that is 0.17 or more. Under current law, these increased penalties are not imposed for violations of the intoxicated boating or the intoxicated snowmobiling laws.

The bill provides that when counting the number of convictions within the previous five years, the previous convictions for intoxicated operation of that same type of recreational vehicle or the related refusal law that occurred before the effective date of this bill are counted, but previous convictions for the other two types of recreational vehicles that occurred before the effective date of this bill are not counted.

The bill also requires a court to enter an order to suspend the person's privilege to operate a snowmobile, an ATV, and a motorboat for a period of not less than 12 months and not more that 16 months if the court imposes a penalty for a violation of the intoxicated operation of an ATV, the intoxicated boating, or the intoxicated snowmobiling law or the related refusal law. The bill also provides a forfeiture and additional six-month period of operating privilege suspension for violating the order of suspension.

If the person is found guilty of a violation of the intoxicated operation of an ATV, the intoxicated boating, or the intoxicated snowmobiling law or the related refusal law and has, within the previous five years, violated one of these laws, the bill requires the court to revoke the person's privilege to operate a motor vehicle for not less than six months and not more than 12 months. Under the bill, the person may be eligible for an occupational driver's license at any time during the revocation period. The bill requires the person whose operating privilege was revoked to pay a $140 reinstatement fee.

Under the bill, if a person has had his or her privilege to operate a motor vehicle suspended or revoked for a violation of a prohibition against operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated, the person may not operate a snowmobile, an ATV, or a motorboat during the period of that motor vehicle operating privilege suspension or revocation. The bill also provides a forfeiture and an additional six-month period of operating privilege suspension for violating the order of suspension.

Under current law the sentences of persons who are convicted of certain second, third, or fourth offenses involving the operation of a motor vehicle while under the influence of an intoxicant may be reduced if the violator successfully completes a period of probation that includes alcohol and other drug treatment. A person may complete a treatment program and receive a reduced period of imprisonment only once. This bill allows this option to be used for persons convicted of a violation of the intoxicated operation of an ATV, the intoxicated boating, the intoxicated snowmobiling law, or the applicable refusal law.

Under current law, with limited exceptions, no person may operate a snowmobile without having completed a snowmobile safety course. For persons under the age of 16, the course must include six hours of classroom instruction. This bill repeals this classroom instruction requirement.

Because this bill creates a new crime or revises a penalty for an existing crime, the Joint Review Committee on Criminal Penalties may be requested to prepare a report concerning the proposed penalty and the costs or savings that are likely to result if the bill is enacted.