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House committee hears bill to penalize driving around emergency road closures
Summary
The House Community Safety Committee heard testimony on HB 2203 on Jan. 13, 2026. The bill would create the offense of reckless interference with emergency operations, authorize suspension of driving privileges and allow courts to order reimbursement of emergency response costs; the Sentencing Guidelines Commission opposed elevating the offense to a felony.
A House Community Safety Committee hearing on Jan. 13, 2026, focused on House Bill 2203, a proposal to create a criminal offense for knowingly operating a vehicle on a roadway closed by official barricade, signage or emergency vehicle and to make the offense liable for emergency-response costs.
Lina Langer, counsel to the committee, described the bill’s elements: at the gross-misdemeanor level the offense covers knowingly driving on a road closed for hazardous conditions; the offense would be elevated to a class C felony if a resulting emergency…
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