The bill HB 1127 proposes amendments to the laws concerning the revocation and suspension of driver's licenses. It allows individuals with suspended licenses to operate lawn mowers without penalty and removes the requirement for drivers with suspended licenses to surrender their licenses to the Department of Motor Vehicles. The bill amends several sections of the RSA, including RSA 262:19, III, RSA 265:4, I(f), RSA 265-A:30, III-V, and RSA 263:64, I through V-a, to reflect these changes. It deletes language that previously mandated the surrender of licenses and number plates upon suspension or revocation and introduces insertions that clarify the issuance of temporary licenses during the notice period of suspension and the non-requirement of surrendering out-of-state driver's licenses. The bill maintains the prohibition of driving on the ways of the state while the license is suspended or revoked and outlines penalties for violations, including mandatory minimum sentences for certain offenses.

Additionally, the bill specifies that driving on a way in the state during the period of suspension or revocation that results in a collision causing death or serious bodily injury, where the unlawful operation materially contributed to the collision, is a class B felony, except when the suspension is solely under RSA 263:14, in which case it is a misdemeanor. If the suspension is due to RSA 265-A:30 or an equivalent law in another jurisdiction, the person is guilty of a misdemeanor and subject to a fine of $500 plus penalty assessment. The definition of "way" is also amended in RSA 259:125, I to include the entire width between boundary lines of public and private ways used for travel, as well as parking lots for paying customers, and adds a new paragraph III for the purposes of RSA 263:64. RSA 263:12, IV, which pertains to the failure to surrender a license, is repealed. The act is set to take effect on January 1, 2025.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 262:19, 265:4, 265-A:30, 263:64, 259:125, 263:12
As Amended by the Senate: 262:19, 265:4, 265-A:30, 263:64, 259:125, 263:1, 263:77, 263:12
Version adopted by both bodies: 262:19, 265:4, 265-A:30, 263:64, 259:125, 263:12
CHAPTERED FINAL VERSION: 262:19, 265:4, 265-A:30, 263:64, 259:125, 263:12