24/7 Sobriety Program bill gets unanimous OK from Wyoming Legislature committee

The program, known as the 24/7 Sobriety Program, would required that participants -- those facing punishment for driving while drunk -- must submit to regular, frequent testing for drug and alcohol use. In many states with established 24/7 programs, this means testing twice a day, every day. Testing positive or failing to comply would result in an immediate arrest.

The OK from the Joint Judiciary Interim Committee, which was meeting in Lusk, places the legislation creating such a program up for consideration in the next legislative session.

Committee members discussed instituting a six- or seven-county pilot program in the counties with the highest rate of impaired driving fatalities if the bill passes. The program would run under the auspices of Wyoming's attorney general, who will decide on specific implementation.

The 24/7 Sobriety Program was born in South Dakota and has risen to nationwide popularity, with several states practicing some version of the program.

At May’s Joint Judiciary Interim Committee meeting in Jackson, supporters talked about the benefits of the program in other states. At its most basic level, the program allows second-time or subsequent impaired drivers to avoid jail time, saving the taxpayer money on incarceration fees.

Mike Reed, coordinator for the governor’s council on impaired driving, said Thursday that the program has driven a 50 percent reduction in recidivism in the South Dakota’s DUIs and a 9 percent to 12 percent reduction in domestic violence.

The committee on Thursday ironed out the disputed kinks in the draft bill.

Rep. Marti Halverson, R-Etna, proposed two amendments -- one to delete the section that would employ a sobriety program director and one to add another section that would establish an advisory board for the program.

She argued that both sections were “premature” for the small pilot program that is proposed in Wyoming. The committee voted to keep the director but ditch the board.

The committee members’ discussion focused heavily on the costs of the program, which supporters proclaimed would be self-sufficient. The participants would pay for the associated fees, which could run as low as $2 for the alcohol testing. Fees for drug testing may be higher.

Additionally, the software company used for data management would incur all of its own upfront fees, and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has indicated that federal grant money will fund the program director’s salary, as well as any incidental fees associated with the program start.

Following the presentation, Reed said he was pleased with the committee’s support of the bill.

“I think it’s going to be a very positive move for the state of Wyoming,” he said.