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Bill Would Give Judges Discretion On License Suspensions For Drug Offenses

Legislation that would make a driver's license suspension discretionary rather than mandatory for non-driving drug convictions has been introduced in the Ohio Senate.

State Sen. Bill Seitz recently introduced the bill that would change Ohio law. The Cincinnati Republican says the current law makes it difficult for hundreds of thousands of people in Ohio with suspended driver's licenses for drug convictions to find a job.

Current law follows an edict developed by the federal government in the 1990s that results in an automatic six-month license suspension for anyone convicted of a drug charge, regardless of whether a vehicle was involved in the crime.

The state told the federal government in December that Ohio wants out of the suspension requirement for non-driving drug convictions.