Alabama Senate Bill SB54

Alabama 2023 Regular Session

• Introduced: 3/7/23
• Refer: 3/7/23

Caption

Relating to driver license suspensions; to provide for the suspension of an individual's driver license or driving privilege in certain circumstances.

Impact

The bill stipulates that driver licenses shall only be suspended for failure to pay a fine or fee if the individual fails to make half or more of the required payments within a year after court's order or fails to make any additional payments after that period. This change reflects an effort to prevent onerous consequences for individuals who may struggle with compliance due to financial hardship. The Alabama State Law Enforcement Agency will be responsible for enforcing these new provisions, including the suspension process.

Summary

Senate Bill 54 (SB54) aims to reform the procedures surrounding the suspension of driver licenses in Alabama, specifically focusing on instances related to failing to appear in court and failure to pay fines or fees. Under the current framework, an individual's driver license can be suspended for a variety of reasons including failure to appear in court for any infraction. SB54 proposes that a license can only be suspended if the individual violates a written bond to appear for an initial court date or fails to appear on two or more occasions during a post-adjudication compliance review of court-ordered conditions.

Contention

In addition, SB54 includes measures to ensure that habitual traffic offenders face stricter consequences, as it mandates the addition of points to an individual’s driver license upon final conviction of traffic violations. This could increase penalties for repeat offenders but also raises questions about fairness, particularly for those unable to pay fines. Therefore, while the legislation aims to streamline the driver license suspension process and mitigate the impact on individuals, there are concerns about the balance between public safety and fairness to those with financial difficulties.