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Our Goal: To Eliminate Impaired Driving

The Minnesota DWI Task Force always welcomes new members and attendees.  If you are interested in getting involved and attending a meeting, please contact us.


OUR WORK

Subcommittees

The DWI Task Force has successfully proposed significant changes to Minnesota's DWI laws and continues to seek to improve public safety as well as knowledge and awareness.

The DWI Task Force is made up of a diverse group of professionals.  See our upcoming meeting dates.

ABOUT US

The Minnesota DWI Task Force actively works to eliminate impaired driving, including proposing legislation to improve Minnesota's DWI laws.  Here are the Task Force's past successful legislative initiatives:

  • 2023: H.F. 100 / S.F. 73: Drafted highway safety considerations, including amending DWI laws, prohibiting open packages in motor vehicles and requiring education on cannabis products in driver's education programs, to be included in the cannabis legalization bill.
  • ​2021: H.F. 502 / S.F. 895, which passed as part of the Public Safety Omnibus Bill, H.F. 63: Eliminated barriers and increased incentives for enrollment in ignition interlock and driving with a valid driver's license, which statistically have been shown to increase public safety.
  • ​2018: H.F. 2766 / S.F. 2479: Changed Minnesota's "hazardous substance" DWI laws to "intoxicating substance," which responded to a Minnesota Supreme Court case; removed Minnesota's DWI laws' reliance on OSHA's regulations and expanded the application of DWI laws to include drugs and chemicals that cause impairment and render a person unsafe to operate a motor vehicle.
  • 2017: H.F. 2364 / S.F. 2375: Amended Minnesota's implied consent laws to conform with United States Supreme Court case law; preserved consistency between DWI laws for breath tests and blood/urine tests, including the crime of test refusal and license revocations. 
  • 2015: H.F. 1255 / S.F. 1073: Lowered the enhancement level of gross misdemeanor DWIs from an alcohol concentration of .20 to .16.

The Minnesota DWI Task Force currently has four subcommittees working on various initiatives:

  • Education: DWIs are still more prevalent than they should be.  This subcommittee is working on educating the public, legislators, and even offenders on the dangers of DWIs with the goals of increasing awareness and changing behaviors.
  • ​Ignition Interlock / License Reinstatement: Ignition interlock, and driving with valid licenses, keep our roads safer.  This subcommittee is working on policy initiatives that streamline ignition interlock enrollment and participation and allow for individuals to obtain valid driver's licenses.
  • Legislative: Each year, the DWI Task Force works on legislative initiatives to improve Minnesota's DWI laws.  This subcommittee works on the drafting of the proposals and strategies to present them to the legislature.
  • DWI Marijuana: In recent years, the Minnesota legislature has passed laws to legalize edibles, beverages, and retail/recreational marijuana.  This subcommittee is working on corresponding highway safety considerations.
  • Data: The DWI Task Force collaborates with other stakeholders to identify relevant data, gaps, and opportunities.  The data can then be used to guide educational initiatives, policy considerations, and legal changes to work towards the goal of eliminating impaired driving.