HCS HB 428 -- ELUDING A LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIAL

SPONSOR:  Boucher (Kelly, 36)

COMMITTEE ACTION:  Voted "do pass" by the Committee on Public
Safety, Law Enforcement and Veteran Affairs by a vote of 19 to 1.

This substitute makes it a class A misdemeanor to elude a law
enforcement official by use of a motor vehicle.  A person
commits the crime if the person attempts to elude a law
enforcement official who has a reasonable suspicion that a law
or local ordinance has been violated by ignoring visible and
audible signs from a law enforcement official directing the
person to stop.

FISCAL NOTE:  No impact on state funds.

PROPONENTS:  Supporters say that the bill is important for
safety reasons.  Currently, there is no crime of eluding a law
enforcement officer, but failure to yield to emergency vehicles
is a class A misdemeanor.  The Highway Patrol participates in
approximately 300 pursuits averaging 8 miles each year, and
approximately 20% of those pursuits are terminated.  The Patrol
has strict policies about how pursuits are conducted.

Testifying for the bill were Representative Kelly (36); Missouri
State Highway Patrol; Missouri Chiefs of Police; and Missouri
Sheriffs' Association.

OPPONENTS:  There was no opposition voiced to the committee.

Amy Woods, Legislative Analyst

Missouri House of Representatives
Last Updated November 26, 2001 at 11:44 am