This bill, requested by the Department of Justice, aims to revise the laws concerning the offense of eluding a peace officer. It specifically amends Section 61-8-316 of the Montana Code Annotated to impose greater penalties for individuals who exceed the speed limit by more than 20 miles per hour while fleeing from law enforcement. The bill clarifies that a person who knowingly fails to stop when signaled by a uniformed peace officer and engages in reckless behavior, such as increasing their speed significantly, is committing an offense.

The proposed changes include a new provision that increases the penalties for those convicted of fleeing from or eluding a peace officer if their actions result in serious bodily injury or death to another person, or if they exceed the speed limit by more than 20 miles per hour. Under the revised law, such offenders could face imprisonment for up to 10 years or fines up to $10,000, significantly harsher than the previous maximum penalties of 1 year in prison or $2,000 in fines for lesser offenses.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 61-8-316