Even after the exceptional reporting by CalMatters in its License to Kill series, which demonstrated how California is failing its residents through lax enforcement and weak traffic safety laws, the 2025 Legislature still failed to pass Assembly Bill 366. AB 366 was a modest effort to expand the state’s ignition interlock device (IID) program — breathalyzers that prevent a vehicle from starting if the driver has consumed alcohol — but it stalled over concerns about cost. Under AB 366, anyone convicted of a DUI would have been required to install an IID in their vehicle.
AB 366’s author, Assemblymember Cottie Petrie-Norris (D–Orange County), vowed at a press conference today to reintroduce the legislation this session. Petrie-Norris was joined by Assembly Transportation Committee Chair Lori Wilson (D–Contra Costa), Assembly Public Safety Committee Chair Nick Schultz (D–Burbank), and Assemblymember Juan Alanis (R–Central Valley), all of whom announced legislation aimed at making California’s roads safer by cracking down on DUI and other repeat traffic offenders.
Schultz and Petrie-Norris both spoke about the need for the state to put funding concerns aside when considering legislation designed to save lives.
“A budget is a statement of values,” Petrie-Norris said, invoking the quote popularized by President Joe Biden.
Schultz was even more direct.
“There is no cost too high to bear in terms of doing everything that we can to keep our community safe,” Schultz said. “We are losing way too many lives on our roads — and we only talk about fatalities. Look at all the injuries. Look at the number of vehicle crashes where there might not be an injury, per se, but nonetheless reflect how prevalent this issue is in California. We’ve got to do something.”
AB 1546
Schultz was the first to outline new legislation, introducing Assembly Bill 1546: Vehicles — Driving Under the Influence. AB 1546 would increase penalties for repeat DUI offenders to bring California law more in line with other states.
Under current law, a third DUI conviction within 10 years may be charged as either a misdemeanor or a felony, with jail time, fines, and license suspension. AB 1546 would strengthen those provisions by:
- Making a third DUI within 10 years a formal “wobbler,” allowing prosecutors to charge it as either a misdemeanor or felony, with potential county jail time ranging from 120 days to three years, plus fines.
- Treating four or more DUI convictions within 10 years as mandatory felonies, with longer jail sentences.
- Extending license revocation to five years for drivers with four or more DUI convictions within a decade. Currently, three or more convictions result in a four-year revocation.
Wilson’s Legislation
Wilson followed with two proposals aimed at closing what she described as loopholes that allow dangerous drivers back on the road.
Assembly Bill 1662 would change existing law so that drivers who avoid fines through a court-mandated misdemeanor diversion program would still receive points on their driving record.
Wilson also announced forthcoming legislation that would delay the start of a driver’s license suspension until after any jail sentence is completed, preventing offenders from effectively serving both penalties simultaneously.
“Driving is a privilege,” Wilson said. “This package holds dangerous drivers accountable.”
Additional Measures Forthcoming
Other proposals discussed at the press conference have yet to be formally introduced, including Petrie-Norris’s successor to AB 366 and a bill from Alanis.
A former law enforcement officer, Alanis said he plans to introduce legislation to expand advanced DUI enforcement training for police officers. While all officers receive basic traffic enforcement training, many local and county departments lack specialized DUI instruction, requiring under-trained officers to call in additional support during traffic stops.
Alanis said his proposal would make advanced DUI training more widely available, improving enforcement efficiency while freeing up both local and state law enforcement resources.
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