Relating to driving while under the influence of intoxicants; prescribing an effective date.
HB 3174 makes several changes to Oregon’s laws governing driving under the influence of intoxicants (DUII) screening, treatment, and diversion programs. The bill raises the fee for an alcohol and drug screening interview from $150 to $250 for people ordered by a court to complete screening and treatment under ORS 813.021. It also keeps in place the requirement that the person complete the referred treatment program and pay for that treatment, while preserving court oversight and reporting by the screening agency or organization.
The bill also expands how money in the Intoxicated Driver Program Fund may be spent. In addition to existing uses for indigent treatment, program evaluation, administration, training, and special services, the fund may now be used to pay for screening interviews and DUII education programs for indigent defendants, with a cap of $100 per indigent defendant each time a screening interview is required. This broadens financial support for low-income defendants involved in DUII-related court requirements.
HB 3174 further changes who may complete a diversion-related treatment program outside Oregon. Under current law, this option was limited to certain active-duty military members; the bill extends it to any individual who is not an Oregon resident, while still allowing active-duty service members to use comparable treatment programs in another jurisdiction. The bill applies the new fee increase only to fees imposed on or after its effective date and takes effect 91 days after adjournment sine die.
The bill’s impact on state law is focused on DUII administration, court-ordered screening and treatment, and the Intoxicated Driver Program Fund. It amends ORS 813.021, 813.233, and 813.270 to increase fees, expand fund uses, and broaden out-of-state treatment eligibility. Affected parties include courts, screening agencies, treatment providers, indigent defendants, and nonresident defendants who need to complete diversion conditions.
The overall sentiment appears strongly supportive and noncontroversial. The recorded votes were unanimous in committee and on House third reading, suggesting broad agreement on the bill’s policy changes. The main policy issues reflected in the text are practical rather than ideological: increasing program funding, helping indigent defendants access required services, and allowing nonresidents to complete treatment outside Oregon. No major opposition is reflected in the available transcripts or vote history.
HB 3174 amends Oregon DUII statutes to increase the screening interview fee, expand permissible uses of the Intoxicated Driver Program Fund, and allow nonresidents to complete comparable treatment programs in another jurisdiction. It directly affects ORS 813.021, 813.233, and 813.270, and it changes the financial obligations and program options for defendants, courts, screening providers, and treatment agencies. The bill also creates a specific cap on fund payments for indigent screening interviews and education programs.
The available legislative history suggests broad bipartisan or at least unanimous support. The House committee vote was 8-0, the House third reading vote was 52-0, and the Senate committee vote was 6-0. With no committee transcripts provided and no recorded dissent, the bill appears to have been viewed as a routine administrative update to DUII program funding and treatment access rather than a controversial policy change.
No significant contention is evident in the available record. The only potentially sensitive issues are the higher fee for screening interviews and the expanded use of the Intoxicated Driver Program Fund, but the unanimous votes suggest these changes were not strongly disputed. The out-of-state treatment provision may have been intended to address practical access issues for nonresidents and active-duty military members, and there is no indication of opposition to that expansion in the materials provided.