HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 4573        FILED ON: 3/1/2016

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 4098

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_________________

PRESENTED BY:

Louis L. Kafka and Claire D. Cronin

_________________

To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:

The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:

An Act relative to offenses while operating on a suspended license.

_______________

PETITION OF:

 

Name:

District/Address:

Date Added:

Louis L. Kafka

8th Norfolk

3/1/2016

Claire D. Cronin

11th Plymouth

3/8/2016

James E. Timilty

Bristol and Norfolk

3/9/2016

Patricia A. Haddad

5th Bristol

3/7/2016

Bruce E. Tarr

First Essex and Middlesex

3/2/2016

Paul J. Donato

35th Middlesex

3/2/2016

William C. Galvin

6th Norfolk

3/2/2016

Walter F. Timilty

7th Norfolk

3/2/2016

David M. Nangle

17th Middlesex

3/9/2016

John W. Scibak

2nd Hampshire

3/9/2016

Elizabeth A. Poirier

14th Bristol

3/2/2016

F. Jay Barrows

1st Bristol

3/2/2016

Donald H. Wong

9th Essex

3/2/2016

RoseLee Vincent

16th Suffolk

3/9/2016

James J. Dwyer

30th Middlesex

3/9/2016

James M. Cantwell

4th Plymouth

3/3/2016

Brian M. Ashe

2nd Hampden

3/2/2016

Kimberly N. Ferguson

1st Worcester

3/1/2016

Chris Walsh

6th Middlesex

3/2/2016

Angelo J. Puppolo, Jr.

12th Hampden

3/1/2016

Linda Dean Campbell

15th Essex

3/10/2016

Steven S. Howitt

4th Bristol

3/2/2016

Timothy R. Whelan

1st Barnstable

3/8/2016

Gailanne M. Cariddi

1st Berkshire

3/3/2016

James R. Miceli

19th Middlesex

3/10/2016

Hannah Kane

11th Worcester

3/3/2016

Shaunna L. O'Connell

3rd Bristol

3/4/2016

Colleen M. Garry

36th Middlesex

3/8/2016

Brian A. Joyce

Norfolk, Bristol and Plymouth

3/2/2016


HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 4573        FILED ON: 3/1/2016

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 4098

By Representatives Kafka of Stoughton and Cronin of Easton, a petition (subject to Joint Rule 12) of Louis L. Kafka, Claire Cronin and others relative to penalties for operating a motor vehicles after licenses to operate have been suspended or revoked.  The Judiciary.

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

 

_______________

In the One Hundred and Eighty-Ninth General Court
(2015-2016)

_______________

 

An Act relative to offenses while operating on a suspended license.

 

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
 

SECTION 1.  Section 23 of Chapter 90 of the Massachusetts General Laws, as appearing in the 2014 Official Edition, is hereby amended by  inserting after the fourth paragraph the following 3 paragraphs:-

Any person convicted of operating a motor vehicle in violation of section 10 of chapter 90 who on the date of operation was not eligible for issuance or renewal of a license to operate; or of operating a motor vehicle after his license to operate has been suspended or revoked, or after notice of the suspension or revocation of his right to operate a motor vehicle without a license has been issued by the registrar and received by such person or by his agent or employer, and prior to the restoration of such license or right to operate or to the issuance to him of a new license to operate and by such operation causes injury to another person shall be punished by a fine of not more than $5,000 and by imprisonment in a house of correction for not more than 2 ½ years.  Prosecutions commenced under this paragraph shall only apply to a person whose license or right to operate has been suspended or revoked due to a conviction or continuance without a finding under this or any other chapter, due to an outstanding default or arrest warrant, or due to offenses which are required by any provision of law to be reported to the registrar and for which the registrar is authorized or required to suspend or revoke the person’s license or right to operate motor vehicles for a period of 30 days or more.  If the person has been previously convicted of a violation of sections 10 or 23 of chapter 90 by a court of the commonwealth or by a court of any other jurisdiction because of a like violation preceding the date of the commission of the offense for which he has been convicted, the person shall be punished by a fine of not more than $5,000 and by imprisonment in a house of correction for not less than 6 months and not more than 2 ½ years.  Section 87 of chapter 276 shall not apply to any person charged with a violation of this paragraph.   Prosecutions commenced under this paragraph shall not be placed on file or continued without a finding.

Any person convicted of operating a motor vehicle in violation of section 10 of chapter 90 who on the date of operation was not eligible for issuance or renewal of a license to operate; or of operating a motor vehicle after his license to operate has been suspended or revoked, or after notice of the suspension or revocation of his right to operate a motor vehicle without a license has been issued by the registrar and received by such person or by his agent or employer, and prior to the restoration of such license or right to operate or to the issuance to him of a new license to operate and by such operation causes serious bodily injury to another person shall be punished by a fine of not more than $10,000 and by imprisonment in a house of correction for not more than 2 ½  years or imprisonment in the state prison for not more than 5 years.  Prosecutions commenced under this paragraph shall only apply to a person whose license or right to operate has been suspended or revoked due to a conviction or continuance without a finding under this or any other chapter, due to an outstanding default or arrest warrant, or due to offenses which are required by any provision of law to be reported to the registrar and for which the registrar is authorized or required to suspend or revoke the person’s license or right to operate motor vehicles for a period of 30 days or more.  If the person has been previously convicted of a violation of sections 10 or 23 of chapter 90 by a court of the commonwealth or by a court of any other jurisdiction because of a like violation preceding the date of the commission of the offense for which he has been convicted, the person shall be punished by a fine of not more than $10,000 and by imprisonment in a house of correction for a mandatory period of not less than 1 year and not more than 2 ½ years, or state prison for not less than 1 year but no more than 10 years with said sentence to be served consecutively to and not concurrent with any other sentence or penalty.  Such sentence shall not be suspended, nor shall any such person be eligible for probation, parole, or furlough or receive any deduction from his sentence for good conduct until he shall have served said 1 year of such sentence; provided, however, that the commissioner of correction may, on the recommendation of the warden, superintendent or other person in charge of a correctional institution, or of the administrator of a county correctional institution, grant to an offender committed under this paragraph a temporary release in the custody of an officer of such institution only to obtain emergency medical or psychiatric services unavailable at said institution or to engage in employment pursuant to a work release program.   Section 87 of chapter 276 shall not apply to any person charged with a violation of this paragraph. Prosecutions commenced under this paragraph shall not be placed on file or continued without a finding.

Any person convicted of operating a motor vehicle in violation of section 10 of chapter 90 who on the date of operation was not eligible for issuance or renewal of a license to operate; or of operating a motor vehicle after his license to operate has been suspended or revoked, or after notice of the suspension or revocation of his right to operate a motor vehicle without a license has been issued by the registrar and received by such person or by his agent or employer, and prior to the restoration of such license or right to operate or to the issuance to him of a new license to operate and by such operation causes the death of another shall be punished by a fine of not more than $15,000 and by imprisonment in a house of correction for a mandatory period of not less than 2 years and not more than 2 ½  years, or state prison for not less than 2 years but no more than 10 years with said sentence to be served consecutively to and not concurrent with any other sentence or penalty.   Such sentence shall not be suspended, nor shall any such person be eligible for probation, parole, or furlough or receive any deduction from his sentence for good conduct until he shall have served said 2 years of such sentence; provided, however, that the commissioner of correction may, on the recommendation of the warden, superintendent or other person in charge of a correctional institution, or of the administrator of a county correctional institution, grant to an offender committed under this paragraph a temporary release in the custody of an officer of such institution only to obtain emergency medical or psychiatric services unavailable at said institution or to engage in employment pursuant to a work release program.  Prosecutions commenced under this paragraph shall only apply to a person whose license or right to operate has been suspended or revoked due to a conviction or continuance without a finding under this or any other chapter, due to an outstanding default or arrest warrant, or due to offenses which are required by any provision of law to be reported to the registrar and for which the registrar is authorized or required to suspend or revoke the person’s license or right to operate motor vehicles for a period of 30 days or more.  If the person has been previously convicted of a violation of sections 10 or 23 of chapter 90 by a court of the commonwealth or by a court of any other jurisdiction because of a like violation preceding the date of the commission of the offense for which he has been convicted, the person shall be punished by a fine of not more than $15,000 and by imprisonment in the state prison for not less than 5 years but no more than 15 years with said sentence to be served consecutively to and not concurrent with any other sentence or penalty.  Such sentence shall not be suspended, nor shall any such person be eligible for probation, parole, or furlough or receive any deduction from his sentence for good conduct until he shall have served said 5 years of such sentence; provided, however, that the commissioner of correction may, on the recommendation of the warden, superintendent or other person in charge of a correctional institution, or of the administrator of a county correctional institution, grant to an offender committed under this paragraph a temporary release in the custody of an officer of such institution only to obtain emergency medical or psychiatric services unavailable at said institution or to engage in employment pursuant to a work release program.  Section 87 of chapter 276 shall not apply to any person charged with a violation of this paragraph. Prosecutions commenced under this paragraph shall not be placed on file or continued without a finding.

SECTION 2. Said section 23 of said chapter 90, as so appearing, is hereby amended by striking out the words “first or second”, in line 148, and inserting in place thereof the following words:- first, second, fifth, sixth or seventh.

SECTION 3. Section 26 of chapter 218 of the General Laws, as so appearing, is hereby amended by inserting, in line 12, after the word “90B” the following words:- , sixth or seventh  paragraph of section 23 of chapter 90.