Assembly Bill 1131 proposes significant amendments to Wisconsin's laws regarding operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated (OWI). The bill expands the requirement for ignition interlock devices (IIDs) to include first OWI offenses with an alcohol concentration of 0.08 or greater, whereas current law only mandates IIDs for second or subsequent offenses or first offenses with a concentration of 0.15 or higher. Additionally, the bill removes the 10-year time frame for considering prior OWI offenses when determining penalties, meaning that repeat offenders will face increased penalties regardless of when the previous offenses occurred. It also adds underage drinking offenses that involve operating a vehicle to the list of prior offenses that can affect sentencing and operating privilege revocation.

The bill includes several specific amendments to existing statutes, such as deleting references to a 10-year period for counting prior offenses and adjusting the alcohol concentration threshold for certain penalties. It creates a new statute that includes underage drinking offenses related to operating a vehicle, thereby broadening the scope of offenses that can impact a person's driving privileges. Overall, the bill aims to strengthen penalties for OWI offenses and enhance public safety by addressing both adult and underage drinking and driving.

Statutes affected:
Bill Text: 343.30(1q)(b)3, 343.30, 343.301(1g)(a)2.a, 343.301, 343.305(10)(b)3, 343.305, 343.31(3)(bm)3, 343.31, 346.65(2)(am)2, 346.65, 346.65(2)(bm)