An Act to amend 343.30 (1q) (b) 3., 343.30 (1q) (b) 4. and 343.305 (10) (b) 2.; to create 343.301 (6) of the statutes; Relating to: license eligibility and restriction extensions relating to ignition interlock devices.
Summary
SB248 revises Wisconsin’s ignition interlock device laws and related driver-license eligibility rules. The bill expands when people convicted of certain alcohol-related driving offenses can obtain occupational licenses, including allowing earlier eligibility in some cases after installation of an ignition interlock device. It also creates new procedures for monitoring compliance with ignition interlock requirements, including mandatory retesting after failed or skipped tests, service-provider reporting to the Department of Transportation, and a rebuttal process for disputed violations.
The bill further extends the length of an ignition interlock restriction by 180 days for specified violations such as tampering, unauthorized removal, lockout due to failure to service the device, failed breath tests, missed random tests, and failed confirmation retests. It also creates a new criminal penalty for violating the ignition interlock device statute, and it renumbers and amends existing provisions governing tampering, circumvention, and related offenses. The bill includes a funding request for DOT implementation and delays most of the act’s effective date until the first day of the 12th month after publication of a notice tied to that funding.
Impact
SB248 amends multiple sections of Wisconsin traffic and driver-licensing law, primarily in chapters 343 and 347, to tighten and modernize enforcement of ignition interlock requirements while also broadening occupational-license access for certain affected drivers. It changes revocation and restriction rules for repeat operating-while-intoxicated-related offenses and improper refusal cases, creates new statutory duties for ignition interlock service providers and the Department of Transportation, and establishes a new penalty provision for violations involving ignition interlock devices. The bill also repeals an existing forfeiture provision and replaces it with a more specific criminal penalty structure for certain interlock violations.
Sentiment
The available voting history suggests strong bipartisan or at least broad legislative support: the Senate concurred in Assembly Substitute Amendment 1 by a 33-0 vote. No committee transcripts were provided, so there is no recorded debate to indicate significant opposition in the materials supplied. Overall, the bill appears to have been viewed as a technical but substantive public-safety and licensing reform rather than a highly controversial measure.
Contention
The main policy tension in SB248 is between public safety enforcement and license restoration. Supporters would likely favor the bill’s stricter monitoring, longer restriction periods for violations, and clearer penalties for tampering or noncompliance, while also noting that it gives some drivers earlier access to occupational licenses once an interlock is installed. Potential points of contention include the 180-day extension for a wide range of device-related violations, the new criminal penalties, the administrative burden placed on service providers and DOT, and the cost of installation, maintenance, and reinstallation borne by affected drivers. The bill also creates a rebuttal process for disputed violations, indicating concern about false positives or device malfunctions.
Crossfiled
An Act to amend 343.30 (1q) (b) 3., 343.30 (1q) (b) 4. and 343.305 (10) (b) 2.; to create 343.301 (6) of the statutes; Relating to: license eligibility and restriction extensions relating to ignition interlock devices.