To amend sections 4506.16 and 4511.35 of the Revised Code to increase the penalties related to operating a commercial motor vehicle on the wrong side of an interstate freeway.

Section 1. That sections 4506.16 and 4511.35 of the Revised Code be amended to read as follows:

Sec. 4506.16.  (A) Any person who is found to have been convicted of a violation of an out-of-service order shall be disqualified by the registrar of motor vehicles as follows:

(1) If the person has not been convicted previously of a violation of an out-of-service order, the period of disqualification is one hundred eighty days.

(2) If, during any ten-year period, the driver is convicted of a second violation of an out-of-service order in an incident separate from the incident that resulted in the first violation, the period of disqualification is two years.

(3) If, during any ten-year period, the driver is convicted of a third or subsequent violation of an out-of-service order in an incident separate from the incidents that resulted in the previous violations during that ten-year period, the period of disqualification is three years.

(B)(1) A driver is disqualified for one hundred eighty days if the driver is convicted of a first violation of an out-of-service order while transporting hazardous materials required to be placarded under the "Hazardous Materials Transportation Act," 88 Stat. 2156 (1975), 49 U.S.C.A. 1801, as amended, or while operating a motor vehicle designed to transport sixteen or more passengers, including the driver.

(2) A driver is disqualified for a period of three years if, during any ten-year period, the driver is convicted of a second or subsequent violation, in an incident separate from the incident that resulted in a previous violation during that ten-year period, of an out-of-service order while transporting hazardous materials required to be placarded under that act, or while operating a motor vehicle designed to transport sixteen or more passengers, including the driver.

(C) Whoever violates division (A)(1) of section 4506.15 of the Revised Code or a similar law of another state or a foreign jurisdiction, immediately shall be placed out-of-service for twenty-four hours, in addition to any disqualification required by this section and any other penalty imposed by the Revised Code.

(D) The registrar of motor vehicles shall disqualify any holder of a commercial driver's license, or any operator of a commercial motor vehicle for which a commercial driver's license is required, from operating a commercial motor vehicle as follows:

(1) Upon a first conviction for a violation of any provision of divisions (A)(2) to (12) of section 4506.15 of the Revised Code or a similar law of another state or a foreign jurisdiction, or upon a first suspension imposed under section 4511.191 of the Revised Code or a similar law of another state or foreign jurisdiction, one year;

(2) Upon a second conviction for a violation of any provision of divisions (A)(2) to (12) of section 4506.15 of the Revised Code or a similar law of another state or a foreign jurisdiction, or upon a second suspension imposed under section 4511.191 of the Revised Code or a similar law of another state or foreign jurisdiction, or any combination of such violations arising from two or more separate incidents, the person shall be disqualified for life or for any other period of time as determined by the United States secretary of transportation and designated by the director of public safety by rule;

(3) Upon a first conviction for any of the following violations while transporting hazardous materials, three years:

(a) Divisions (A)(2) to (12) of section 4506.15 of the Revised Code;

(b) A similar law of another state or a foreign jurisdiction.

(4) Upon conviction of a violation of division (A)(13) of section 4506.15 of the Revised Code or a similar law of another state or a foreign jurisdiction, the person shall be disqualified for life;

(5)(a) Upon conviction of two serious traffic violations involving the operation of a commercial motor vehicle by the person and arising from separate incidents occurring in a three-year period, the person shall be disqualified for sixty days, which disqualification shall be imposed consecutively to any other separate disqualification imposed under division (D)(5) or (6) of this section;

(b) Upon conviction of three serious traffic violations involving the operation of a commercial motor vehicle by the person and arising from separate incidents occurring in a three-year period, the person shall be disqualified for one hundred twenty days, which disqualification shall be imposed consecutively to any other separate disqualification imposed under division (D)(5) or (6) of this section;

(6)(a) Upon conviction of two serious traffic violations involving the operation of a vehicle other than a commercial motor vehicle by the person and arising from separate incidents occurring in a three-year period, the person shall be disqualified for sixty days if the conviction results in the suspension, cancellation, or revocation of the holder's commercial driver's license or noncommercial motor vehicle driving privileges, which disqualification shall be imposed consecutively to any other separate disqualification imposed under division (D)(5) or (6) of this section;

(b) Upon conviction of three serious traffic violations involving the operation of a vehicle other than a commercial motor vehicle by the person and arising from separate incidents occurring in a three-year period, the person shall be disqualified for one hundred twenty days if the conviction results in the suspension, cancellation, or revocation of the holder's commercial driver's license or noncommercial motor vehicle driving privileges, which disqualification shall be imposed consecutively to any other separate disqualification imposed under division (D)(5) or (6) of this section.

(7) Upon a first conviction involving the operation of a commercial motor vehicle in violation of any provisions of sections 4511.61 to 4511.63 of the Revised Code or a similar law of another state or foreign jurisdiction, not less than sixty days;

(8) Upon a second conviction involving the operation of a commercial motor vehicle in violation of any provisions of sections 4511.61 to 4511.63 of the Revised Code or a similar law of another state or foreign jurisdiction within three years of the first such conviction, not less than one hundred twenty days;

(9) Upon a third or subsequent conviction involving the operation of a commercial motor vehicle in violation of any provisions of sections 4511.61 to 4511.63 of the Revised Code or a similar law of another state or foreign jurisdiction within three years of the first such conviction, not less than one year;

(10) Upon receiving notification from the federal motor carrier safety administration, the registrar immediately, prior to any hearing, shall disqualify any commercial motor vehicle driver whose driving is determined to constitute an imminent hazard as defined under federal motor carrier safety regulation 49 C.F.R. 383.52;

(11) Upon receiving notification from a court under section 4511.35 of the Revised Code, for the period determined by the court pursuant to that section.

(E) For the purposes of this section, conviction of a violation for which disqualification is required includes conviction under any municipal ordinance that is substantially similar to any section of the Revised Code that is set forth in division (D) of this section and may be evidenced by any of the following:

(1) A judgment entry of a court of competent jurisdiction in this or any other state;

(2) An administrative order of a state agency of this or any other state having statutory jurisdiction over commercial drivers;

(3) A computer record obtained from or through the commercial driver's license information system;

(4) A computer record obtained from or through a state agency of this or any other state having statutory jurisdiction over commercial drivers or the records of commercial drivers.

(F) For purposes of this section, conviction of disqualifying offenses committed in a noncommercial motor vehicle are included if either of the following applies:

(1) The offense occurred after the person obtained the person's commercial driver's license.

(2) The offense occurs on or after September 30, 2005.

(G) If a person commits a serious traffic violation by operating a commercial motor vehicle without having a commercial driver's license in the person's possession as described in division (GG)(3)(e) of section 4506.01 of the Revised Code and the person then submits proof to either the enforcement agency that issued the citation for the violation or to the court with jurisdiction over the case before the date of the person's initial appearance that shows that the person held a valid commercial driver's license at the time of the violation, the violation shall not be deemed to be a serious traffic violation.

(H) Any record described in division (C) of this section shall be deemed to be self-authenticating when it is received by the bureau of motor vehicles.

(I) When disqualifying a driver, the registrar shall cause the records of the bureau to be updated to reflect that action within ten days after it occurs.

(J) The registrar immediately shall notify a driver who is finally convicted of any offense described in section 4506.15 of the Revised Code or division (B)(D)(4), (5), or (6) of this section and thereby is subject to disqualification, of the offense or offenses involved, of the length of time for which disqualification is to be imposed, and that the driver may request a hearing within thirty days of the mailing of the notice to show cause why the driver should not be disqualified from operating a commercial motor vehicle. If a request for such a hearing is not made within thirty days of the mailing of the notice, the order of disqualification is final. The registrar may designate hearing examiners who, after affording all parties reasonable notice, shall conduct a hearing to determine whether the disqualification order is supported by reliable evidence. The registrar shall adopt rules to implement this division.

(K) Any person who is disqualified from operating a commercial motor vehicle under this section may apply to the registrar for a driver's license to operate a motor vehicle other than a commercial motor vehicle, provided the person's commercial driver's license is not otherwise suspended. A person whose commercial driver's license is suspended shall not apply to the registrar for or receive a driver's license under Chapter 4507. of the Revised Code during the period of suspension.

(L) The disqualifications imposed under this section are in addition to any other penalty imposed by the Revised Code.

Sec. 4511.35.  (A) Whenever any highway has been divided into two roadways by an intervening space, or by a physical barrier, or clearly indicated dividing section so constructed as to impede vehicular traffic, every vehicle shall be driven only upon the right-hand roadway, and no vehicle shall be driven over, across, or within any such dividing space, barrier, or section, except through an opening, crossover, or intersection established by public authority. This section does not prohibit the occupancy of such dividing space, barrier, or section for the purpose of an emergency stop or in compliance with an order of a police officer.

(B)(1) Except as otherwise provided in this division (B)(2) of this section, whoever violates division (A) of this section is guilty of a minor misdemeanor. If, within one year of the offense, the offender previously has been convicted of or pleaded guilty to one predicate motor vehicle or traffic offense, whoever violates division (A) of this section is guilty of a misdemeanor of the fourth degree. If, within one year of the offense, the offender previously has been convicted of two or more predicate motor vehicle or traffic offenses, whoever violates division (A) of this section is guilty of a misdemeanor of the third degree.

If the trier of fact finds that, in violating division (A) of this section, the offender operated a commercial motor vehicle for a distance of five hundred feet or more upon the left-hand roadway of a divided highway that is part of the interstate system and division (B)(2) of this section does not apply, the court, in addition to any other penalty that the court is required or permitted by law to impose on the offender, shall direct the registrar of motor vehicles to disqualify the offender from operating a commercial motor vehicle for a definite period not to exceed one year.

(2) Whoever violates division (A) of this section is guilty of a fourth degree felony if all of the following apply:

(a) The offender operated a commercial vehicle upon the left-hand roadway of a divided highway and was involved in a motor vehicle collision that occurred on that left-hand roadway;

(b) The collision caused physical harm to another person or caused the death of another person; and

(c) The divided highway on which the collision occurred is part of the interstate system.

If the violation caused physical harm to another person, the court, in addition to any other penalty that the court is required or permitted by law to impose on an offender to which division (B)(2) of this section applies, shall direct the registrar of motor vehicles to disqualify the offender from operating a commercial motor vehicle for a definite period of two to ten years. If the violation caused the death of another person, the court, in addition to any other penalty that the court is required or permitted by law to impose on an offender to which division (B)(2) of this section applies, shall direct the registrar of motor vehicles to disqualify the offender from operating a commercial motor vehicle for life.

(C) As used in this section:

(1) "Interstate system" has the same meaning as in 23 U.S.C. 101.

(2) "Physical harm to another person" has the same meaning as "physical harm to persons" in section 2901.01 of the Revised Code.

Section 2. That existing sections 4506.16 and 4511.35 of the Revised Code are hereby repealed.