The Senate Corrections and Criminal Law Committee heard SB 486 authored by Sen. Michael Young on criminal law issues. The bill made numerous changes including OWI using THC, revocation of community corrections placement, redefining the crime of escape to include violating a home detention order, and the crime of maintaining a common nuisance, offenses at penal facilities, possessing a firearm on school property, and increases the penalty for domestic battery and strangulation. The bill would also allow a judge to order probation for up to two years to help a person with drug or alcohol abuse problems without a report showing the need for the extended probation period.
The committee amended the bill to remove provisions concerning the establishment of new crimes involving the presence of THC in a person’s blood and the testing and establishing the presence of THC in a person’s blood. The amended bill also directs the State Toxicology Department to establish standards and regulations for testing THC in a person’s blood.
Indiana Prosecuting Attorneys Council and Indiana Public Defender’s Council testified in favor of the bill. The amended bill passed 6-3.
Read the bill at: http://iga.in.gov/legislative/2019/bills/senate/486