Requires that the license plates of a vehicle be confiscated by a police officer if the owner was arrested for driving while their license was suspended, revoked or cancelled for refusing to submit to a chemical test or for operating under the influence.
Requires that present and former employees, active and retired members, and beneficiaries receiving any retirement, disability or death allowance receive a $2,000 increase per year.
Maddy summarySB 556 amends the state's definition of "aggressive driving" by adding five new driving violations to the existing list. Under current law, aggressive driving is defined as committing two or more specific violations while operating a motor vehicle. This bill expands that list to include offenses such as failing to obey police officers, specific rules for overtaking on the left, ensuring clearance while overtaking, prohibitions on overtaking in certain places, and rules for driving on laned roadways. This change directly affects motorists by broadening the range of actions that can lead to an aggressive driving charge.
Requires persons convicted of driving under influence or refusal to submit to chemical test, to have an ignition interlock system installed in vehicle as part of sentence and to pay an assessment to pay for the systems for indigent defendants.
Amends the section of law relative to violations for driving after denial, revocation or suspension of a license and expands the list of offenses for which an unlicensed motorist would be in violation.
Establishes and funds the SafeRIde program, which provides transportation, free of charge, to persons suspected of having a blood alcohol concentration that prohibits legal operation of a vehicle.
Maddy summarySB 684, titled "AN ACT RELATING TO INSURANCE -- INDIVIDUAL HEALTH INSURANCE COVERAGE--PRIOR AUTHORIZATIONS," proposes to prohibit individual health insurance policies from requiring prior authorization for prescriptions of generic medication. This means that individuals covered by these plans would no longer need their insurer's approval before filling a generic drug prescription. The bill directly affects individuals with individual health insurance coverage and the health insurance carriers that offer these plans by amending existing general laws on individual health insurance.
Ends difference between teachers retired before or after June 30, 2012 for pension adjustments and difference between COLA adjustments between state and municipal pensions.
Maddy summarySB 661 amends the state's retirement system by adding state probation and parole officers to the list of state law enforcement professionals. This change makes probation and parole officers eligible for the same specific retirement benefits and service allowances as other state law enforcement personnel, such as deputy sheriffs and capitol police officers. The bill specifies that service credits earned before January 1, 2026, will be determined by prior laws, with the new provisions taking effect on January 1, 2026.
Maddy summarySB 298 increases penalties for various motor vehicle offenses. It raises the maximum imprisonment for "driving so as to endanger, resulting in death" from 10 to 20 years, and for "driving so as to endanger, resulting in serious bodily injury" from 5 to 10 years. For first-time convictions of "driving under the influence, resulting in death," the bill increases maximum imprisonment to 30 years and maximum fines to $20,000. Additionally, for first-time "driving under the influence, resulting in serious bodily injury," maximum imprisonment rises to 20 years, maximum fines to $10,000, and license revocation periods increase from up to 2 years to 3-5 years.
