Bill Caption

Fiscal Notes

Bill Analysis

Summary of Legislation: This legislation increases the penalty for offenses involving motor vehicle airbags, if the violation results in death, from a Class A misdemeanor to a 1st Degree Felony.

Notes:  Increasing the penalty or expanding the penalty range for any criminal offense is expected to result in increased demands upon the correctional resources of counties and or the State due to longer terms of probation, or longer terms of confinement in county jail, state jail, or prison. When an offense is changed from a misdemeanor to a felony, there is a transfer of the burden of confinement of convicted offenders from the counties to the State.  This penalty under this legislation is only triggered when "tampering or fraud" results in death. Under these circumstances the penalty is justified. We recommend that legislators vote to approve HB 38.