Bill > H1091

This bill, known as the DWI Modernization Act of 2026, aims to update laws related to driving while impaired (DWI) by focusing on prevention, enforcement, and recovery, with the goal of saving lives. Key provisions include requiring magistrates to provide written explanations when they find no probable cause in implied consent cases, which are situations where drivers are legally considered to have consented to chemical tests for alcohol or drugs if suspected of impairment. The bill also seeks to increase efficiency in the immediate civil pretrial revocation of driver's licenses, which is a temporary suspension of driving privileges before a criminal conviction, and ensures that impaired drivers contribute more to the costs associated with their processing. To reduce unnecessary court motions, the bill allows alcohol and oral drug screening tests to be used as evidence to prove that an arresting officer had probable cause for an arrest. It also mandates that drivers for transportation network companies (TNCs), like Uber or Lyft, meet the same standards as bus drivers regarding impairment. For repeat offenders, the bill introduces a pathway to prove their sobriety and regain a legal method to operate a vehicle, often involving ignition interlock devices or continuous alcohol monitoring systems. Finally, it establishes a felony offense for adults who aid underage individuals in obtaining alcoholic beverages when that consumption leads to serious bodily injury to themselves or others.