California considers bills to reduce drunk driving, targeting repeat offenders by restricting alcohol access. Opponents fear discrimination.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California lawmakers are pushing new legislation aimed at curbing drunk driving, which several describe as an “entirely preventable epidemic,” with proposals targeting repeat offenders and their access to alcohol.

One bill moving through the state Legislature – AB 1605 – would allow judges to prohibit certain repeat DUI offenders from purchasing alcohol by adding a “no alcohol sales” designation to their driver’s license.

“We have an epidemic. As a state, we’re not leading in resolving this, and we cannot do it by keeping the status quo,” said Democratic Assemblymember Rhodesia Ransom of Stockton during a Tuesday Assembly Public Safety Committee hearing. She is the lead author on AB 1605.

According to the California Office of Traffic Safety, alcohol-impaired driving remains a leading cause of deadly and serious injury crashes. In 2023, 1,355 people were killed in alcohol-involved crashes.

“This is an entirely preventable epidemic that we’re facing,” Ransom said.

Her proposal would give judges the option to impose alcohol purchase restrictions on certain repeat offenders. That includes people with three or more DUI convictions in the past 10 years, as well as drivers convicted of DUI causing bodily injury who have at least one prior offense in the same period, among other repeat cases.

Judges could require the designation for up to the length of a person’s probation.

“This bill will give us an opportunity to deal with the root cause, which is access to alcohol for people who cannot handle it responsibly or who have demonstrated an addiction,” Ransom said.

The state already uses measures such as license suspensions and ignition interlock devices for repeat offenders, Ransom said, but some individuals still find ways around those restrictions. She described the alcohol sales ban as another tool to improve public safety.

Opponents, however, argue the policy could have unintended consequences.

“A marked license functions as a visible scarlet letter that will trigger automatic discriminations in employment, housing, and public life,” said Hien Nguyen with Legal Services for Prisoners with Children. “An employer seeing a mark during a required I-9 verification or a landlord reviewing IDs will have immediate grounds for discrimination, even if the individual has completed probation or maintained sobriety.”

Rebecca Miller with the Western Center on Law & Poverty said a driver’s license is essential for everyday life, including applying for jobs, housing and public benefits.

“A designation on their driver’s license advertises a criminal conviction far beyond the intended scope and with questionable value for public safety,” Miller said.

Opponents also said the measure could disproportionately affect low-income, Black, Latinx and Indigenous communities.

Supporters, including the California Police Chiefs Association (CPCA), say the proposal is worth considering as part of a broader strategy.

“I do think it is an important policy discussion for us to continue having in the legislature,” said Jonathan Feldman with CPCA. “We’re working a lot on DUI issues. We’re looking a lot on the penalties and the accountability side, but the preventive side is just as important.”

Ransom said her focus includes both accountability and preventing future victims of drunk driving crashes.

“Restorative justice and rehabilitation both require accountability,” she said.

The bill passed the Assembly Public Safety Committee with amendments and now heads to the Assembly Governmental Organization Committee.

Lawmakers are also considering other DUI-related proposals. One bill from Republican Assemblymember David Tangipa of Fresno – AB 1867 – would impose a lifetime alcohol purchase ban for third-time offenders within a 10-year period who are sentenced to state prison. That proposal is next scheduled to be heard in the Assembly Public Safety Committee.

WATCH MORE ON ABC10 | Bills aim to prevent DUI crashes | To The Point with Alex Bell

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