Committee adopts changes to DUI penalties and approves year‑ly school firearm‑safety training in SB 54

The House Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee on Friday adopted an amended version of Senate Bill 54 that tightens penalties for refusing breathalyzer tests and, by a separate non‑germane amendment, would require one hour per year of age‑appropriate firearm safety instruction in public schools, the committee chair and witnesses said.

Sponsor Representative William Roy, the bill’s author, told the committee the amendment keeps a stiffer suspension for refusing a breath test but creates incentives for people who take the test: if a person fails the test, complies with court‑ordered alcohol treatment and related requirements, the court may restore up to six months of the license suspension. Roy said the amendment also allows a court to grant a limited “Cinderella” license—restricted hours and routes for commuting—while a person is enrolled in treatment and complying with testing.

"If you take the breathalyzer test and you fail but you comply with the court ordered alcohol treatment, you are eligible to have up to six months of that suspension taken back," Representative Roy said during the public hearing. He described the changes as less punitive and more focused on rehabilitation.

The non‑germane amendment, added to SB 54 during the committee’s hearing, directs the Department of Education, in consultation with the Department of Safety, to develop an age‑appropriate curriculum that the bill describes as potentially including the NRA’s Eddie Eagle program as an example. The amendment specifies a minimum of one hour per year, allows parents to opt their…