Bill Text: PA SB547 | 2011-2012 | Regular Session | Introduced

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Bill Title: In offenses in general, further providing for leaving an unattended child in a motor vehicle; and, in driving after imbibing alcohol or utilizing drugs, further providing for penalties.

Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Democrat 8-1)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2011-02-14 - Referred to TRANSPORTATION [SB547 Detail]

Download: Pennsylvania-2011-SB547-Introduced.html

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PRINTER'S NO. 529
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
SENATE BILL
No. 547 Session of2011
INTRODUCED BY BREWSTER, FONTANA, RAFFERTY, TARTAGLIONE, SOLOBAY, COSTA AND WASHINGTON, FEBRUARY 14, 2011
REFERRED TO TRANSPORTATION, FEBRUARY 14, 2011
AN ACT
Amending Title 75 (Vehicles) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated
Statutes, in offenses in general, further providing for
leaving an unattended child in a motor vehicle; and, in
driving after imbibing alcohol or utilizing drugs, further
providing for penalties.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Sections 3701.1 and 3804(b) and (e)(2) of Title
75 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes are amended to
read:
§ 3701.1. Leaving an unattended child in a motor vehicle.
(a) General rule.--A person driving or in charge of a motor
vehicle may not permit a child under six years of age to remain
unattended in the vehicle when the motor vehicle is out of the
person's sight and under circumstances which endanger the
health, safety or welfare of the child.
[(a.1) Applicability.--This section shall apply to the
highways and trafficways of this Commonwealth and, for the
purposes of this section only, the term "trafficways" shall
include, but not be limited to, parking lots.
(b) Penalty.--A person who violates this section commits a
summary offense. It is a separate offense for each child left
unattended.]
(c) School bus or school vehicle.-–
(1) A driver of a school bus, school vehicle or any
other motor vehicle who either is employed by a school
district or transports pupils under a contract with the
school district commits an offense if he intentionally,
knowingly, recklessly or negligently leaves a pupil
unattended in a school bus, school vehicle or other vehicle
when the school bus, school vehicle or other vehicle is out
of the driver's sight and under circumstances which endanger
the health, safety or welfare of the pupil.
(2) Failure of the driver to strictly comply with all
regulations promulgated by the State Board of Education
governing the transportation of school pupils shall be prima
facie evidence of a violation of this subsection.
(d) Suspension of operating privilege.-–
(1) The department shall suspend the school bus driver
endorsement of a driver held by the driver pursuant to
section 1509 (relating to qualifications for school bus
driver endorsement) upon receiving a certified record of the
driver's conviction under subsection (c).
(2) The suspension shall be as follows:
(i) For a first offense, 30 days.
(ii) For a second offense, 60 days.
(e) Revocation of school bus driver endorsement.-–The
department shall permanently revoke any school bus driver
endorsement held by a driver pursuant to section 1509 upon
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receiving a certified record of the driver's third conviction
under subsection (c).
(f) Applicability.--This section shall apply to the highways
and trafficways of this Commonwealth and, for the purposes of
this section only, the term "trafficways" shall include, but not
be limited to, parking lots.
(g) Penalties.-–
(1) A person who violates subsection (a) commits a
summary offense. It is a separate offense for each child left
unattended.
(2) A person who violates subsection (c) commits a
summary offense and shall be subject to:
(i) A fine not to exceed $300 for a first offense.
(ii) A fine of not less than $300 nor more than
$1,000 for a second offense.
(iii) A fine of not less than $1,000 nor more than
$1,500 for a third offense.
§ 3804. Penalties.
* * *
(b) High rate of blood alcohol; minors; commercial vehicles
and school buses and school vehicles; accidents.--Except as set
forth in subsection (c), an individual who violates section
3802(a)(1) where there was an accident resulting in bodily
injury, serious bodily injury or death of any person or damage
to a vehicle or other property or who violates section 3802(b),
(e) or (f) shall be sentenced as follows:
(1) For a first offense, to:
(i) undergo imprisonment of not less than 48
consecutive hours or not less than 30 days for a
violation of section 3802(f) involving a school bus or
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school vehicle;
(ii) pay a fine of not less than $500 nor more than
$5,000 or not less than $5,000 nor more than $10,000 for
a violation of section 3802(f) involving a school bus or
school vehicle;
(iii) attend an alcohol highway safety school
approved by the department; and
(iv) comply with all drug and alcohol treatment
requirements imposed under sections 3814 and 3815.
(2) For a second offense, to:
(i) undergo imprisonment of not less than 30 days or
not less than 90 days for a violation of section 3802(f)
involving a school bus or school vehicle;
(ii) pay a fine of not less than $750 nor more than
$5,000 or not less than $7,500 nor more than $15,000 for
a violation of section 3802(f) involving a school bus or
school vehicle;
(iii) attend an alcohol highway safety school
approved by the department; and
(iv) comply with all drug and alcohol treatment
requirements imposed under sections 3814 and 3815.
(3) For a third offense, to:
(i) undergo imprisonment of not less than 90 days or
not less than one year for a violation of section 3802(f)
involving a school bus or school vehicle;
(ii) pay a fine of not less than $1,500 nor more
than $10,000 or not less than $10,000 nor more than
$20,000 for a violation of section 3802(f) involving a
school bus or school vehicle; and
(iii) comply with all drug and alcohol treatment
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requirements imposed under sections 3814 and 3815.
(4) For a fourth or subsequent offense, to:
(i) undergo imprisonment of not less than one year
or not less than five years for a violation of section
3802(f) involving a school bus or school vehicle;
(ii) pay a fine of not less than $1,500 nor more
than $10,000 or not less than $15,000 nor more than
$25,000 for a violation of section 3802(f) involving a
school bus or school vehicle; and
(iii) comply with all drug and alcohol treatment
requirements imposed under sections 3814 and 3815.
* * *
(e) Suspension of operating privileges upon conviction.--
* * *
(2) Suspension under paragraph (1) shall be in
accordance with the following:
(i) Except as provided for in subparagraph (iii), 12
months for an ungraded misdemeanor or misdemeanor of the
second degree under this chapter.
(ii) 18 months for a misdemeanor of the first degree
under this chapter.
(ii.1) 24 months for violation of section 3802(f)
involving a school bus or school vehicle.
(iii) There shall be no suspension for an ungraded
misdemeanor under section 3802(a) where the person is
subject to the penalties provided in subsection (a) and
the person has no prior offense.
(iv) For suspensions imposed under paragraph (1)
(ii), notwithstanding any provision of law or enforcement
agreement to the contrary, all of the following apply:
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(A) Suspensions shall be in accordance with
Subchapter D of Chapter 15 (relating to the Driver's
License Compact).
(B) In calculating the term of a suspension for
an offense that is substantially similar to an
offense enumerated in section 3802, the department
shall presume that if the conduct reported had
occurred in this Commonwealth then the person would
have been convicted under section 3802(a)(2).
(v) Notwithstanding any other provision of law or
enforcement agreement to the contrary, the department
shall suspend the operating privilege of a driver for six
months upon receiving a certified record of a consent
decree granted under 42 Pa.C.S. Ch. 63 (relating to
juvenile matters) based on section 3802.
* * *
Section 2. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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