ARIZONA LEGISLATURE UNANIMOUSLY PASSES KEY LEGISLATION TO END DEBT-BASED DRIVER’S LICENSE SUSPENSIONS
SB 1551 Will Promote Accountability, Strengthen Public Safety, & Address Criminalization of Poverty
(Phoenix, AZ) – Today, the Arizona House unanimously voted (58-0) to pass SB 1551, key criminal justice reform legislation that will eliminate the practice of suspending or restricting a person’s driver’s license for failing to pay a civil traffic penalty. This current practice harms Arizonans, especially working families, who are too often forced to choose between missing work, losing access to health care, childcare, food, and paying the bills, or driving on a suspended or restricted license. SB 1551, sponsored by Senator Paul Boyer (R-20), previously passed in the Arizona Senate unanimously and now heads to Governor Doug Ducey’s desk for his signature.
Specifically, SB 1551 will:
End the practice of suspending or restricting driver’s licenses for failure to pay civil traffic penalties, such as simple parking tickets.
Retroactively reinstate driver’s licenses that have been suspended or restricted for failure to pay a civil traffic penalty, impacting up to an estimated 30,000 Arizonans.
Expand fine mitigation opportunities for certain non-driving related offenses, extending flexibility for those who are experiencing hardship.
Allow the courts to refer individuals who have “failed to pay” these penalties to the Traffic Ticket Enforcement Program, which allows the MVD to place a hold on a person’s registration renewal until they agree to get on a payment plan for their fine, thus allowing the state to maintain an enforcement mechanism without tying it to a driver’s license suspension or restriction.
“We’re thrilled to see this important driver’s license reform bill pass unanimously in both chambers. Now, Arizonans will no longer have to choose between putting food on the table and possibly having their licenses suspended for an inability to pay traffic debt,” said Lauren Krisai, Senior Policy Analyst at Justice Action Network. “We’d like to thank legislators in both the House and Senate who voted to unanimously pass this legislation, and Senator Boyer for championing this landmark bipartisan bill that will change tens of thousands of lives in Arizona. We look forward to seeing Governor Ducey sign this bill into law.”
“Arizona Attorneys for Criminal Justice continues to fight for an Arizona justice system that works for everyone. This is why AACJ was pleased to support the passage of SB 1551, which will prevent individuals who cannot afford to pay fines or fees from having their driver's licenses stripped from them as punishment,” said Steve Scharboneau, AACJ Member. “Disallowing an earner of a family that is already in a position of financial hardship from driving, especially in a state that is so geographically sprawled, does the people of Arizona no favors. SB 1551 is a step in the right direction and is an example of how productivity can be increased in Arizona by decreasing harsh punishments that the law currently imposes."
“Ending driver’s license suspensions for court debt is a massive win for public safety, taxpayers, and the economy. This counterproductive policy has done nothing to make Arizona safer. It has only twisted fines and fees into modern day debtor’s prison, forcing people to stay home and struggle to work so they cannot even afford to pay their debt,” said Grover Norquist, President of Americans for Tax Reform. “Republican lawmakers deserve immense credit for passing this wonderful reform. We look forward to Governor Ducey signing the bill into law.”
“Senate Bill 1551 is an important step to ensure that civil traffic penalties do not create conditions that increase economic insecurity and punish poverty. No person should lose their ability to go to work or to take their children to school because of their inability to pay a debt,” said Darrell Hill, Policy Director at ACLU of Arizona. “With limited access to public transportation in Arizona, driving is often the only realistic means of transportation, causing many people to drive with a debt-based suspended license out of necessity. This carries significant risk that a license suspended solely for failure to pay a debt could lead to arrest and jail time. We applaud this bipartisan effort to get rid of a law that criminalizes poverty.”