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House committee reviews H.44 changes to impaired-driving rules, reporting to DMV and blood-draw refusals
Summary
A legislative counsel briefed the House Transportation Committee on H.44, which would tighten reporting of family‑court adjudications to the DMV, clarify DUI definitions in Title 23, and create a misdemeanor pathway for refusing warrant‑authorized blood draws.
Legislative counsel told the House Transportation Committee on Feb. 12 that H.44, “An act relating to miscellaneous amendments to the laws governing impaired driving,” would close reporting gaps to the Department of Motor Vehicles and create a DUI‑centered misdemeanor for refusal to submit to a warrant‑authorized blood draw.
Ben Novogrovsky, legislative counsel and the staff member assigned to H.44, told committee members the bill makes a series of technical and substantive fixes across Title 23 (the transportation title) and related judiciary provisions in Title 4 and Title 33. Novogrovsky said the bill aims to ensure family‑court adjudications that affect driving privileges are reported to the DMV and to create an alternative to felony obstruction charges where a person refuses a court‑issued warrant for an evidentiary blood sample.
The bill would add “adjudication” language so family‑court outcomes that are not labeled as convictions are nevertheless reported to the DMV; Novogrovsky said the bill requires…
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