SACRAMENTO – Assemblymember Nicole Parra (D-Hanford) announced the passage of AB 808 after presenting the bill at a hearing of the Assembly Transportation Committee. The bill passed by a unanimous vote and now heads to the Assembly Appropriations Committee. Assemblymember Parra introduced AB 808 as part of a bi-partisan package of bills designed to reduce drunk driving. AB 808 would require people applying for a driver’s license, or renewal of a license, to acknowledge that drinking and driving can result in death.

“With AB 808, we will be building on the success of my bill, AB 2173 of 2004. Implied consent will provide prosecutors irrefutable evidence in court, in the form of a signed document, that a defendant knew the dangers of drinking and driving and drove while intoxicated anyway,” said Parra.

Early supporters of AB 808 include the California Highway Patrol and the California District Attorneys Association. Statistics demonstrate the unfortunate number of drunk drivers. Last year, the California Highway Patrol made 94,250 DUI arrests. Of those arrests, 13,765 were in the Central Valley, including 5,024 DUI arrests in Kern County alone.

“AB 808 will make it easier for prosecutors to charge offenders charged with driving under the influence (DUI) with second-degree murder when their irresponsible actions lead to the death of an innocent person,” said Assemblymember Parra.