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BILL CALLS FOR ZERO TOLERANCE FOR DRIVERS ON DRUGS

Assemblyman Don Gustavson, R-Sun Valley, Wednesday introduced a bill he says will close a gap in Nevada's driving under the influence laws. 

Gustavson said now, when a driver has a small quantity of an illegal drug in his system he will face charges of consuming or using the drug.  But prosecutors have to prove that amount of drug impaired driving enough to qualify for a DUI conviction. 

Assembly Bill 196, which was referred to the Judiciary and Ways and Means committees, would set the state's tolerance for driving while using any illegal drug at zero.  It states that a driver could be charged with DUI if there is "a detectable amount" of any illegal drug in his system. 

Gustavson said the 82-page bill also makes a variety of other changes to the law, including elimination of the seven-year limit for using prior DUIs against a defendant whether the intoxicating substance is drugs or alcohol.  Now, a subject's record is cleared after seven years. 

In addition, it would mandate prison for any DUI involving substantial bodily harm or death. 

Because of those provisions, he admitted the problem with the bill is going to be its cost.  But he said he hasn't received the fiscal note estimating its impact on prisons and county jails yet.