AB 1555, as introduced, Frazier. Vehicular manslaughter: great bodily injury: driving while using wireless device.
(1) Existing law makes it an infraction to drive a motor vehicle while using a wireless telephone unless the telephone is designed and configured to allow hands-free listening and talking. Existing law makes it an infraction to drive a motor vehicle while using an electronic wireless communications device to write, send, or read a text-based communication, unless the wireless communications device is designed and configured to allow voice-operated and hands-free operation. Existing law makes it an infraction for a person under the age or 18 years to drive a motor vehicle while using a wireless telephone, even if equipped with a hands-free device, or while using a mobile service device.
Under existing law, vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence is punishable either by imprisonment in a county jail for not more than one year or by imprisonment in the state prison for 2, 4, or 6 years. Under existing law, vehicular manslaughter without gross negligence is punishable by imprisonment in a county jail for not more than one year.
This bill would make vehicular manslaughter without gross negligence committed during the course of a violation of the above prohibitions on driving a motor vehicle while using a wireless telephone, electronic wireless communications device, or mobile service device, punishable by imprisonment in a county jail for 16 months, or 2 or 3 years, and would make vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence under these circumstances punishable by imprisonment in the state prison for 4, 6, or 10 years. By increasing the punishment for a crime, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program.
(2) Under existing law, any driver who violates certain specified provisions of law, including the above prohibitions on driving a motor vehicle while using a wireless telephone, electronic wireless communications device, or mobile service device, and as a result of that violation proximately causes bodily injury or great bodily injury is guilty of the public offense of unsafe operation of a motor vehicle with bodily injury or great bodily injury. Under existing law, a violation involving bodily injury is punishable by a fine of $70, and a violation involving great bodily injury is punishable by a fine of $95.
This bill would make unsafe operation of a motor vehicle with bodily injury or great bodily injury involving a violation of the above prohibitions on driving a motor vehicle while using a wireless telephone, electronic wireless communications device, or mobile service device punishable by imprisonment in a county jail for not less than 30 days, but not more than 6 months, and a fine not to exceed $1,000 for a violation involving bodily injury, and by imprisonment in a county jail for not less than 90 days, but not more than one year, and a fine not to exceed $1,000 for a violation involving great bodily injury. By increasing the punishment for a crime, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program.
The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.
This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.
Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: yes.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
Section 193 of the Penal Code is amended to
2read:
(a) Voluntary manslaughter is punishable by
2imprisonment in the state prison for 3, 6, or 11 years.
3(b) Involuntary manslaughter is punishable by imprisonment
4pursuant to subdivision (h) of Section 1170 for two, three, or four
5years.
6(c) Vehicular manslaughter is punishable as follows:
7(1) A
end delete
8begin insert(1)end insertbegin insert end insertbegin insert(A)end insertbegin insert end insertbegin insertExcept as provided in subparagraph (B), a end insertviolation of
9paragraph (1) of subdivision (c) of Section 192 is punishable either
10by imprisonment in the county jail for not more than one year or
11by imprisonment in the state prison for two, four, or six years.
12(B) A violation of paragraph (1) of subdivision (c) of Section
13192 committed in the course of a violation of Section 23123,
1423123.5, or 23124 of the Vehicle Code is punishable by
15imprisonment in the state prison for four, six, or 10 years.
16(2) A
end delete
17begin insert(2)end insertbegin insert end insertbegin insert(A)end insertbegin insert end insertbegin insertExcept as provided in subparagraph (B), a end insertviolation of
18paragraph (2) of subdivision (c) of Section 192 is punishable by
19imprisonment inbegin delete theend deletebegin insert aend insert county jail for not more than one year.
20(B) A violation of paragraph (2) of subdivision (c) of Section
21192 committed in the course of a violation of Section 23123,
2223123.5, or 23124 of the Vehicle Code is punishable by
23imprisonment pursuant to subdivision (h) of Section 1170 for 16
24months, or two or four years.
25(3) A violation of paragraph (3) of subdivision (c) of Section
26192 is punishable by imprisonment in the state prison for 4, 6, or
2710 years.
Section 21070 of the Vehicle Code is amended to read:
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a driver
30who violates any provision of this division, that is punishable as
31an infraction, and as a result of that violation proximately causes
32bodily injury or great bodily injury, as defined in Section 12022.7
33of the Penal Code, to another person is guilty of the public offense
34of unsafe operation of a motor vehicle with bodily injury or great
35bodily injury. That violation is punishablebegin delete as an infractionend delete pursuant
36to Section 42001.19.
Section 42001.19 of the Vehicle Code is amended to
38read:
Notwithstanding any otherbegin delete provision ofend delete law, a person
40convicted of a violation of Section 21070 is punishable, as follows:
P4 1(a) For
end delete
2begin insert(a)end insertbegin insert end insertbegin insert(1)end insertbegin insert end insertbegin insertExcept as provided in paragraph (2), for end inserta violation
3involving bodily injury, by a fine of seventy dollars
($70).
4(2) For a violation involving bodily injury committed in the
5course of a violation of Section 23123, 23123.5, or 23124, by
6imprisonment in a county jail for not less than 30 days, but not to
7exceed six months, and by a fine not to exceed one thousand dollars
8($1,000).
9(b) For
end delete
10begin insert(b)end insertbegin insert end insertbegin insert(1)end insertbegin insert end insertbegin insertExcept as provided in paragraph (2), for end inserta violation
11involving great bodily injury, as defined in Section 12022.7 of the
12Penal Code, by a fine of ninety-five dollars ($95).
13(2) For a violation involving great bodily injury, as defined in
14Section 12022.7 of the Penal Code, committed in the course of a
15violation of Section 23123, 23123.5, or 23124, by imprisonment
16in a county jail for not less than 90 days, but not to exceed one
17year, and by a fine not to exceed one thousand dollars ($1,000).
No reimbursement is required by this act pursuant to
19Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California Constitution because
20the only costs that may be incurred by a local agency or school
21district will be incurred because this act creates a new crime or
22infraction, eliminates a crime or infraction, or changes the penalty
23for a crime or infraction, within the meaning of Section 17556 of
24the Government Code, or changes the definition of a crime within
25the meaning of Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California
26Constitution.
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