Virginia: Governor to Act on Legislation to Amend Driver’s License Suspension Policy For Drug Offenders

Virginia: Governor to Act on Legislation to Amend Driver’s License Suspension Policy For Drug Offenders

Update: The Governor signed both bills, effective 7/1/2017.

Update: SB 1091 and HB 2051 have both passed the full Senate and the House of Delegates. The measure now awaits action from the Governor. A spokesman for Gov. Terry McAuliffe says he will sign the bill.

State Senators Adam Ebbin (D), Bill Stanley (R) and Delegate Les Adams (R) have introduced SB 1091 and HB 2051 respectively, legislation that would remove the mandatory driver’s license suspension currently imposed for those with a marijuana possession conviction.

Under current law, any drug conviction, regardless of whether or not a motor vehicle was involved, results in an automatic suspension of the individual’s driving privileges for 6 months.

These pieces of legislation remove the mandatory suspension for adults, leaving it up to the judiciary’s discretion to determine the most appropriate enforcement action. Juveniles will still face an automatic license suspension for any drug related conviction. 

Email your Virginia state Senator and Delegate to support these bills by inputting your information code below.

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