This bill reduces the allowable alcohol blood concentration from 0.8 grams to 0.4. As such, challenges by DUI offenders would likely increase. If there were only a 15 percent increase in the number of DUIs who challenged the new standard, there would be 780 additional court hearings/trials at a cost of $87,400 in General Funds. Additional costs for local and state law enforcement agencies cannot be estimated at this time. Local prosecution costs, likewise cannot be estimated, but, probable challenges of the statute, cases of probable cause due to enforcement discretion decisions, and additional appeals is estimated to cost the state Attorney General's office an additional $40,000 in General Funds. Presentence investigations for the courts, by Corrections, would cost an estimated $7,500 per year. Assuming that there would also be a 10 percent increase in probation caseload due to new DUIs under this bill, there would also be an additional cost of $90,000 for probation supervision. If new prison commitments for DUI increased only 5 percent there would be an additional 4 inmates costing $88,000 in General Funds. Additional laboratory testing for blood alcohol and toxicologist time in court on related cases would add an additional $20,000 in workload to the Department of Health.

Office of the Legislative Fiscal Analyst

2/12/97 8:48:37 AM

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