Measure would allow young DUI drivers to get licenses back earlier

SALT LAKE CITY — Young drunken drivers would have a chance to get their licenses back earlier according to a bill the Utah Senate approved Tuesday.

SB28 also aimed to lengthen the period a driver's license would be suspended for a person who refuses a roadside blood-alcohol test. But that part of the bill was amended to keep it at the current 18 months.

Under the current law, drivers under age 21 can't have their licenses reinstated earlier than two years in some cases. The bill would provide conditions, including counseling, under which the suspension may be reduced.

Bill sponsor Sen. Scott Jenkins, R-Plains City, said young people ought to be able to get some relief if they complete an education program.

At the same time, in what he called a "horse trade," he wanted to increase the suspension for someone who refuses a field blood-alcohol test to two years. His Senate colleagues found that penalty too harsh and kept it at 18 months.

The bill now moves to the House.

E-mail: romboy@desnews.com