A conference committee considering House Bill 12-29 voted to adopt an amendment that would raise a distracted-driving offense from 0 points to 2 points on the state driving-record system and remove automatic public reporting of violations worth one point or less.

The change, offered as an amendment to HB 12-29 and moved and seconded during the committee session, would make the distracted-driving violation reportable to insurance (by virtue of being 2 points) and would prevent most 0- and 1-point offenses from being placed on the public-facing portion of a driver's record maintained by the Department of Transportation (DOT).

Chairman Koppelman, who presented the amendment spreadsheet the committee had been reviewing, said the amendment would prevent “the 1 point and less violations” from being sent to DOT for placement on the portion of the driver record that is open to the public, and noted the committee had focused discussion on which low-point offenses merited reporting. He identified distracted driving and certain texting-related offenses as among the items drawing the most attention.

The committee discussion characterized many existing 0- and 1-point records as minor equipment or technical violations (for example, missing mirrors or improper vehicle equipment) that committee members questioned whether they should be part of a public driving history. Senator Paulson and other members argued that raising distracted driving to 2 points would provide a stronger deterrent and make the offense visible to insurers, while Senator Rummel cautioned that overhauling the point system piecemeal in conference may be premature without a fuller data review.

Brad Schafer of the Department of Transportation explained to the committee that the items in the spreadsheet’s shaded area are reported to insurance regardless; the amendment targets the offenses below that shaded box on the sheet and the change of the distracted-driving line from 0 to 2 points.

After discussion, Representative Schatz moved to adopt the amendments to HB 12-29 (version 25.0294.03003). Representative Greenick seconded the motion. The clerk recorded the following votes: Chairman Koppelman — Yes; Representative Greenick — Yes; Representative Schatz — Yes; Chairman Rummel — No; Senator Paulson — Yes; Senator Cory — Aye. The motion passed. The committee identified Senator Cory as the Senate carrier for the amended bill; a House member volunteered to carry the bill on the House floor.

The committee noted related legislation still alive for separate consideration, including House Bill 12-98 (an 80 mph bill with added components including variable-speed signage and increased fines and points) and prior Senate vehicle-point proposals (referred to in the meeting as 2243), but members said the amendment under consideration would not preclude future action on those bills.

The conference committee adjourned after adopting the amendment and naming carriers to shepherd the measure to each chamber’s floor.