Committee approves amendment to give DPS rulemaking authority for ignition‑interlock program

The State and Local Government Committee on April 8 adopted an amendment to Senate file 2,162 that added a Department of Public Safety request for rulemaking authority governing the state's ignition‑interlock device program.

Senator Dibble presented the A6 amendment to the bill and said it contained an agency request. Don Knauth, director of budget and risk management for Driver and Vehicle Services within the Department of Public Safety, told the committee the amendment seeks rulemaking authority to address administrative gaps in how the agency manages vendors and program operations. "There are some requirements in statute that don't provide us administrative authority to regulate the vendors that currently service the ignition interlock device program," Knauth said.

Testimony explained the department wants authority to clarify vendor responsibilities, add staff capacity to manage evolving ignition‑interlock technologies and to update administrative rules as technologies and vendor practices change. Senator Dibble said the amendment deletes and replaces the underlying A5 amendment and that he supported the agency initiative.

After brief questions from committee members, Senator Carlson moved passage of Senate file 2,162. The committee approved the motion by voice vote; minutes show the bill passed as amended and was re‑referred to the Senate Transportation Committee.

The committee recorded no roll‑call tally for the final motion in the transcript excerpt; the chair announced the motion "prevails" and the file was passed and referred to Transportation.