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House passes bill narrowing grounds for license suspensions tied to unpaid fines and failures to appear
Summary
The Utah House on March 2 passed a revised measure limiting driver's license suspensions for failure to pay or failure to appear in many non-driving cases while preserving suspension authority for driving-related class C misdemeanors and higher. Supporters said it protects low-income residents; opponents warned it could encourage noncompliance.
The Utah House passed a third-substitute bill on March 2 that restricts when a driver's license may be suspended for unpaid fines or failures to appear. Representative Rosanna Malloy, the sponsor, said the change prevents courts from suspending licenses for many non-driving infractions while allowing suspension for moving violations and more serious driving-related offenses.
"Suspending a person's driver's license for failure to comply is counterproductive," Malloy said, arguing the measure preserves courts' authority where appropriate and protects low-income residents who rely on transportation to work. She described the substitute as giving people more time to come into compliance and aligning suspension policy with the underlying conduct.
Representative Robert Perry and others opposed the bill on the floor, saying it would send a message that failing to appear in court or pay fines carries fewer immediate consequences. Perry cited Department of Public Safety and law enforcement legislative committee opposition and raised data that in 2019 about 10,610 letters were mailed for failure-to-appear and that many ultimately had licenses suspended. "If we pass this law the way it is right now, we're going to send the message to the public that it's okay to get a traffic citation and not show up in court," Perry said.
Representative Andrew Stoddard and other supporters said suspensions often "snowball" into greater penalties and impede low-income Utahns from working and paying debts. Representative Stoddard said one justice court handled about 13,000 cases a year, and many suspensions lead to escalating fines and charges that harm stability.
After extended floor discussion and questioning about the substitute's text and exceptions for driving-related offenses, the House voted to pass the third substitute. The bill passed the House by a 40-32 vote and will be transmitted to the Senate for further consideration.
The bill preserves the ability to suspend for failure to appear on class C misdemeanors and above that are driving-related and increases the time allowed for people to respond to notices from courts and the Driver License Division, according to the sponsor's floor remarks. The measure does not eliminate criminal penalties or the issuance of warrants for failure to appear.
Next steps: The bill will be sent to the Senate for its consideration.
