Bill would cap state indigent assistance for ignition interlock to two vehicles per person or household

Senate Bill 5287, presented Feb. 3 by Sen. Leonard Christian, would require the Department of Licensing to adopt rules limiting the monetary assistance an indigent person may receive from the ignition interlock device revolving account to no more than two vehicles per person, or where practicable, two vehicles per household.

Committee staff Brian Moore explained the ignition interlock program: the interlock device permits certain individuals to drive during periods of license suspension or restriction. Users pay an application fee ($100) and a $21 monthly fee into the ignition interlock revolving account; device providers may charge additional fees. The Department of Licensing’s indigent assistance currently offsets these costs for eligible applicants. Moore said the Department’s fiscal note estimates a cost of $377,000 for rule development and implementation, including a $155,000 one‑time information technology cost, and that DOL would need additional half‑time positions to review up to an estimated 4,000 applications. Moore said workload and revenue impacts were not fully determinable with available data.

Sen. Christian said the bill narrows prior House language that limited assistance to one vehicle; he argued that requiring the state to pay for more than two vehicles per indigent person was not an appropriate use of limited funds and that the cap would reduce state expense.

No public testimony opposed the bill during the Feb. 3 hearing; staff recorded eight proponents signed in and no opponents. The committee did not take a final vote that day.