Bill Text: NJ S1589 | 2010-2011 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Permits reduction of motor vehicle penalty points even if driver has license suspension for certain offenses in last 12 months.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2010-03-04 - Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Transportation Committee [S1589 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2010-S1589-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Senator RONALD L. RICE
District 28 (Essex)
SYNOPSIS
Permits reduction of motor vehicle penalty points even if driver has license suspension for certain offenses in last 12 months.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning motor vehicle penalty points and amending P.L.1982, c.43.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. Section 5 of P.L.1982, c.43 (C.39:5-30.9) is amended to read as follows:
5. Points recorded against a licensee shall be reduced at the rate of three points for each 12 consecutive months in which the licensee has not committed any violation either resulting in the assessment of points or in the suspension of driving privileges for a violation other than a parking offense as defined in section 2 of P.L.1985, c.14 (C.39:4-139.3). Points recorded against a licensee shall also be reduced by three points, where the licensee attends and satisfactorily completes an approved license improvement course; provided, however, that no licensee may receive point reduction credits for completion of the same or a similar course within two years of having completed the original course. Points recorded against a licensee shall also be reduced by two points if the licensee attends and satisfactorily completes an approved motor vehicle defensive driving course pursuant to section 55 of P.L.1990, c.8 (C.17:33B-45), except that no licensee may receive point reduction credits for completion of an approved motor vehicle defensive driving course within five years of having completed a previously approved motor vehicle defensive driving course. No point totals shall be reduced below zero. Computation of the time periods used in granting point reduction credits shall in all cases be based upon the respective dates of commission of the offenses for which the licensee was convicted and assessed points.
(cf: P.L.1990, c.8, s.54)
2. This act shall take effect on the first day of the third month following enactment.
STATEMENT
Current law authorizes the
Chief Administrator of the Motor Vehicle Commission to assess drivers with
penalty points when they are convicted of certain motor vehicle violations.
The driver's license of persons who accumulate 12 or more of these penalty
points in a two-year period or 15 or more points in more than two years will be
suspended for a period of 30 days to six months. But these penalty points will
be reduced by three points each year that a
driver does not commit a violation which results in penalty points or a
driver's license suspension.
Under this bill, a person would be eligible for the three-point reduction even if the person's license has been suspended within the last year as the result of a parking offense. The bill defines a parking offense as a violation of a State law, a county, municipal or authority ordinance or resolution, or a regulation of a State authority which regulates parking.
