Pages

Friday, March 25, 2016

ROADSIDE DRUG TESTING BILLS HEADED TO FULL HOUSE (PRESS – MICHIGAN LAWYERS WEEKLY)

Roadside drug testing bills headed to full House
By: Lee Dryden in The MiLW Blog
March 23, 2016
The House Judiciary Committee has approved legislation that would launch a pilot program for roadside drug testing.
Senate Bill 207, sponsored by Sen. Rick Jones, R-Grand Ledge, would allow officers with specialized training to require motorists suspected of driving drugged to take a saliva test and make a warrantless arrest based on the test’s outcome. The test could help rule out illegal drugs for someone having a medical issue and in need of assistance.
Senate Bill 434, sponsored by Sen. Tom Casperson, R-Escanaba, would allow Michigan State Police to establish a one-year pilot program for the saliva tests in five counties. The program could be rolled out statewide if successful. The five counties have not been selected.
The committee reported the bills to the full House on March 22 by a 7-3 margin with one abstention. They were approved by the Senate in January with a 29-9 vote for Senate Bill 207 and a 28-10 vote for Senate Bill 434.
If approved by legislators, the new law would be known as the Barbara J. and Thomas J. Swift Law after a couple killed in 2013 by a truck driver who used a controlled substance.

No comments:

Post a Comment