For amend and vote only, the Senate Corrections and Criminal Code Committee heard HB 1406, sponsored by Sen. Koch, on manufacturing methamphetamine. The bill was amended by consent and voice vote to enhance the penalty for criminal mischief if property is damaged during the manufacture or dealing of a controlled substance (under current law, the enhancement applies only to the manufacture or dealing of cocaine or a narcotic drug) and to remove a provision relating to possession with intent to manufacture. The bill was also amended by consent to provide that the crime of strangulation includes application of pressure to a victim’s torso, to increase the penalty to a Level 5 felony if it is knowingly committed against a pregnant woman, to create an enhancement to obstruction of justice if a person interferes with a witness during the investigation or pendency of a domestic violence or child abuse case, increase the penalty for receiving stolen auto parts if the person has a prior conviction, to define “drug related felony”, and require the Division of State Court Administration to report certain drug related felonies to the National Precursor Log Exchange (NPLEx) so that NPLEx can generate a stop sale alert to prevent individuals with drug related felonies from purchasing ephedrine or pseudoephedrine, to provide that the offense of possession of a precursor by a methamphetamine offender (which prohibits the possession of pseudoephedrine or ephedrine without a prescription by persons convicted of certain offenses) applies to a person who has been convicted of a drug related felony, and to make cemetery mischief: (1) a Class A misdemeanor if the pecuniary loss is less than $750; (2) a Level 6 felony if the pecuniary loss is at least $750 but less than $50,000; and (3) a Level 5 felony if the pecuniary loss is at least $50,000
The amended bill passed 7-1.
Read the bill at: https://iga.in.gov/legislative/2017/bills/house/1406