HB2096: Intelligent Speed Assistance Program; established, penalty.

Legislative Summary

Intelligent Speed Assistance Program established; penalty. Establishes the Intelligent Speed Assistance Program to be administered by the Commission on the Virginia Alcohol Safety Action Program. The bill authorizes enrollment in such Program as an alternative to suspending a person's driver's license upon such person's conviction of certain speed-related offenses. The bill requires a court to order enrollment in such Program for a person convicted of reckless driving and who was found to have been driving in excess of 100 miles per hour. The bill requires the Commissioner of the Department of Motor Vehicles to provide the option, in a written notice, for enrollment in such Program instead of license suspension for a person who has accumulated certain amounts of demerit points, and if such person does not respond to such written notice within 30 days, the bill requires such suspension of his license. The bill requires any person enrolled in the Program to enter into and successfully complete the Program and install an intelligent speed assistance system, defined in the bill, in any motor vehicle owned by or registered to the participant and prohibits such person from driving any motor vehicle that does not have such a system installed. The bill creates a Class 1 misdemeanor for tampering with or attempting to bypass or circumvent such a system. The bill provides that any person who enters into the Program prior to trial may pre-qualify with the Program to have an intelligent speed assistance system installed on any motor vehicle owned or operated by him and that the court may consider such pre-qualification and installation. The bill has a delayed effective date of July 1, 2026.