RHB/7/16
Sponsored by Yug Patel, Yash Deorah of Ravenwood High School
This legislation was filed in the Safety and Homeland Security category
Presented as part of the YIG Volunteer 2024 conference
| 1 | BE IT ENACTED BY THE TENNESSEE YMCA YOUTH IN GOVERNMENT |
| 2 | |
| 3 | Section 1: Unless the context requires otherwise, the terms defined in this act shall be defined as |
| 4 | follows: |
| 5 | License: a document permitting a person to drive any motor vehicle; |
| 6 | Suspension: marking a driver’s license as invalid for an indefinite period of time; |
| 7 | |
| 8 | Section 2: Civil fines and traffic fees are disproportionately placed on disadvantaged people. In |
| 9 | Tennessee, a majority with court debt is between thirty-nine percent (39%) and sixty-nine percent |
| 10 | (69%) of the federal poverty level, with an average income of $5,300 and $9,377. These people |
| 11 | often can not pay these fines resulting in their licenses being suspended; |
| 12 | |
| 13 | Section 3: Due to the necessity of cars in society, this places a huge obstacle in people’s lives. The |
| 14 | inability to drive often leads to fewer hours or being fired, making fees even harder to pay. Late |
| 15 | fees have the potential to make the total fee up to five (5) times the initial cost, creating a cycle of |
| 16 | delayed payments and worsened living conditions; |
| 17 | |
| 18 | Section 4: 2024 Tennessee Code, Title 40 - Criminal Procedure Chapter 24 - Fines 40-24-105 |
| 19 | outlines current legislature regarding license suspension in response to unfulfilled payments: |
| 20 | a)If a person is unable to pay a fee for a traffic infraction, court fees, parking ticket, or other non- |
| 21 | violent violations, their license will be subject to suspension; |
| 22 | b)If directly asked for by the defendant, a payment plan has the potential of being implemented. If |
| 23 | in a payment plan, failure to pay an increment within 30 days will result in the suspension of |
| 24 | license; |
| 25 | c)Restricted licenses are only given out in select scenarios following a court date, application, and |
| 26 | additional fee; |
| 27 | |
| 28 | Section 5: This bill will end all cases of license suspension due to outstanding fines to a court or |
| 29 | governmental department; |
| 30 | |
| 31 | Section 6: All licenses suspended due to a delay in payment to a court or governmental |
| 32 | department will be reinstated at the cost of the State of Tennessee. Local Departments of Motor |
| 33 | Vehicles (DMVs) will be responsible for reinstating physical copies of required documents to the |
| 34 | defendants; |
| 35 | |
| 36 | Section 7: This bill does not apply to those who display dangerous tendencies when driving, like |
| 37 | driving under the influence. Suspensions from these causes will not be privy to the outlined |
| 38 | |
| 39 | Section 8: Similar legislation has been passed in over twenty (20) states including California, |
| 40 | Texas, and Illinois. In these cases, the focus has shifted to the root of the issue, addressing laws |
| 41 | and policies which create unpaid debts to begin with; |
| 42 | |
| 43 | Section 9: All requirements in this bill will be implemented across all judiciaries and DMVs across |
| 44 | the state; |
| 45 | |
| 46 | Section 10: This act will be enforced by the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland |
| 47 | Security (TDSHS); |
| 48 | |
| 49 | Section 11: The implementation of this legislature will distribute a total of fifty thousand dollars |
| 50 | ($50,000) amongst local DMVs upon request. This will be funded through the TDSHS budget; |
| 51 | |
| 52 | Section 12: All laws and policies in conflict with this act are hereby repealed; |
| 53 | |
| 54 | Section 13: This act shall take effect June 1, 2024, the public welfare requiring it. |
| 55 |