Bill 1215 Being Heard Tomorrow

House Bill 1215 Being Heard Tomorrow January 27, 2014

We have learned today that House Bill 1215 is scheduled to be heard in the House Transportation Committee tomorrow morning at 8:30 a.m.  This bill makes it reckless driving when a person kills or seriously injures another person during the commission of most right of way violations.  Under current law a person who kills another or causes a serious injury faces a charge of failure to yield the right of way which carries only a fine.  HB 1215 not only gives the court the power to impose jail or suspend a license if appropriate, it forces the charged party to appear in court to answer for the charges rather than simply pre-pay the ticket.  You can read the full text at: http://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?141+ful+HB1215 Normally a bill would be assigned to a sub-committee before being heard but this one has been sent straight to the full Transportation Committee where the committee can send the bill to the full House, kill the bill, or re-refer it to the Courts of Justice Committee. There are several important aspects of this bill that should be shared with the committee members.   The bill does not carry a mandatory punishment but instead gives the court additional tools to fashion an appropriate punishment for someone who kills or seriously injures another on the highways. The bill forces someone who kills or seriously injures another on the highway to appear in court to answer charges rather than simply pre-pay a fine. The bill still allows the court to convict for the lesser included offense of improper driving when the court feels that the facts justify such a finding. If you have any questions or comments concerning this bill please feel free to contact me.