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SALT LAKE CITY – A proposal in the Legislature would require certain Utahns convicted of DUI to carry a special driver's license stating they are not allowed to buy alcohol.
HB437, sponsored by Rep. Steve Eliason, R-Sandy, advanced unanimously Wednesday out of the House Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice Committee. It moves to the full House of Representatives for a vote.
The bill would apply to people convicted of "extreme DUI" – meaning those with a blood alcohol level of at least three times the legal limit, or with a combination of drugs and alcohol in their system – but a judge could apply it to others as well.
For those individuals, they would get a new driver's license or identification card that states "No Alcohol Sale" on it, along with other security features designed to prevent them from buying booze.
"If somebody has already demonstrated that alcohol is problematic in their life, and they've committed a crime, for the state or another retailer to continue selling them alcohol when the judge has said that's not allowed, that's a problem," Eliason said.
The bill received widespread support during Wednesday's House committee hearing, including from the family of Eli Mitchell, a 13-year-old boy from West Jordan who was killed by a drunk driver almost three years ago.
"If this law would have existed back in 2022, and that particular establishment would have been following this law, there's a good chance I wouldn't be here today and my grandson would be still with us," Glendon Mitchell, Eli's grandfather, said.
Last year, Eliason successfully sponsored another DUI-related bill known as "Bentley's Law." Under the law, anyone convicted of killing or permanently injuring someone can be held responsible for paying child support for their victims' kids.
