>“Suspending a driver’s license for reasons having nothing to do with driving is nonsensical. It only serves to make it harder for Pennsylvanians with minor criminal records to pay their debts to society, earn a living, and support their families… We look forward to Governor Wolf signing House Bill 987 into law and extending Pennsylvania’s record of innovative, bipartisan justice reform,” said Jenna Bottler, the Deputy Director for the Justice Action Network.

This sounds worthy and good.

> House Bill 987 aims to provide retroactive relief for citizens of the commonwealth whose licenses were suspended for non-driving offenses.

So this is apparently an effort to return driver’s licenses to people who have had them taken away for other matters not related to driving.

The bill is waiting on Governor Wolf’s signature.

They finally woke up to realize driving is not a privilege to live

Does anyone know if parking tickets are considered “non-driving reasons”?

Ref:

>Your driver’s license can be suspended for many reasons, including unpaid parking tickets, too many speeding ticket points, child support arrears, drug possession and driving under the influence.

https://bentley-law.com/criminal-defense/vehicle-related-matters/driving-on-a-suspended-license/

As someone who lost their license for underage drinking (this is 15 years ago at this point), I'm curious how that is affected. Even at 20 years old, in college without a full-time job, I know how much of a burden this was on my family and friends.

EDIT: Looks like this was repealed a while ago. Good stuff, PA.

I felt your pain also. 27 years ago. Was 4 hours from a set of keys and vehicle, sitting in a dorm room. Mandatory suspension.

So, I looked up the bill and the only people not getting the license back appear to be the 1 and 3-year suspensions. The 90-day mandatory for an underage minor appears to be gone thanks to this policy.

Edit: policy was already gone....

I don't know for sure, but I would hazard to day that no, they are not.

Parking is part of driving, much like landing the airplane is part of flying it.

Probably not. A driver’s license can be suspended for non-response to a traffic citation. So if you get a ticket for an expired inspection and don’t respond to the ticket, you’re listen will get suspended

Yeah, that is asinine. I also lost my license for underage drinking some years ago. I was a 20 year old in a dorm room without any access to a car. It never made sense. It certainly didn't curb any drinking, it just made it harder to live life. I was lucky that I didn't need my license at that point, it would've been so much worse of I needed to drive to work every day. I'm glad they are changing the law.

This is the good stuff that happens when Democrats are in charge

Great to know - and thanks for doing the leg work (I was on mobile).

I was commuting for college, but thankfully, my best friend was also commuting and in 90% of my classes and would just stay at my parents with me. Asinine is the best word for it!

Republicans control both branches of the Legislature

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This was already repealed around 4 years ago. Underage drinking no longer comes with a license suspension.

Good to know!!! Obviously something I did not have to worry about or pay much attention to!

LOL!

Nice! I wasn't aware. I'm still gonna use it as a deterrent in my house to try to keep the kids out of trouble. Don't tell them.....

A bipartisan law which appears to make sense?

Am I having a fucking stroke?

Unfortunately, although I pray for the day when driving can be seen as a privilege, instead of a necessity.

Only because public transit fucking sucks here.

I lost my driver's license for 90 days in 2007 when I was 17 for missing 8 days of school.

Cool now fix the medical marijuana dui problem.

a Marijuana possession charge in PA also carry's a mandatory license suspension

When I was in high school (early 90's) they tried to take it from students for smoking.
Edit: Should clarify I'm talking tobacco not cannabis.

They suspended my license from age 16-23 for underage drinking, no where near a veichle. Im glad they're stopping that bullshit.

Is that some joke that went over my head? Democrats haven't controlled the state legislature in quite a while.

And passed unanimously. We need more of this.

And have for decades straight. I love how people point out the dysfunction in our state and ignore that the GOP has had total control of the state house and senate for decades.

Fetterman has that covered.

How bad will it be with the new districts? Are you guys gerrymandered bad?

You know this was passed on the state level and Fetterman is running on the federal level?

Seriously, this needs to be spoken about more and fixed

He was, in likely a tone deaf way, referring to the stroke part.

Yeah, crazy how state and federal are separated to the degree they are, I still won’t accept a joke

Same. Iirc correctly they doubled the penalty each time. so get caught underage drinking a few times in highschool and you end up losing your license well into your 20s. It's fucked.

Yup. I think it was 3, over the course of like 3 years. My 3rd one was when I was 20 years old