The House Courts and Criminal Code Committee heard SB 519 on drug penalties, sponsored by Rep. McNamara. The bill provides that if a person commits the offense of dealing or an attempt or conspiracy to commit dealing in a controlled substance, the person may be tried in any county where the person performed an act in furtherance of the offense. Replaces heroin with cocaine or a narcotic drug in certain offense enhancements in the offense of dealing in cocaine or a narcotic drug. It also adds an element to certain offense enhancements relating to controlled substances by aggregating the weight of a drug over a period of not more than 90 days.
Rep. McNamara introduced two amendments adopted by consent, which sent the legislation to an interim study committee. The first amendment sent a portion of the bill to an interim committee to study drug penalties and their fairness and the second amendment sent a part of the proposed law to an interim study committee to explore proportionality of criminal penalties and enhancements.
Representatives from the Indiana Prosecuting Attorneys Council and the Attorney General’s Office testified in favor of the bill. The amended bill passed 11-0.
Read the bill at http://iga.in.gov/legislative/2019/bills/senate/519