Mitch Bolinsky

HARTFORD- On May 8^th, State Representative Mitch Bolinsky (R-106) joined his House colleagues in unanimous support of a public safety measure that finally allows police to pull over drivers they see or suspect of using cannabis and excessive speeding.

“Empowering police to intervene when drivers are suspected of being impaired by cannabis is a vital step toward ensuring road safety. With a record number of traffic fatalities in 2024, this legislation prioritizes public welfare by giving law enforcement a very important tool to address drug-impaired driving effectively,” said Rep. Bolinsky, a co-sponsor of the legislation, and introducer of a similar bill in this session, HB-6358.

House Bill 7132, An Act Concerning Non-Safety Related Traffic Stops and Driving While Consuming Cannabis – provides the authority for officers to stop a motor vehicle if the officer sees the operator actively consuming cannabis and smells burnt cannabis. It also makes numerous changes regarding non-safety related items and reduces the standard for vehicle stops for items like license plate frame holders, windshield obstructions and non-functioning headlights.

Additionally, the legislation sets enhanced penalties under the reckless driving law for violators who drive faster than 100 mph. If a police officer arrests someone who was previously convicted of a reckless driving violation, at or above 100 mph. the officer must impound the driver’s vehicle for a 48-hour period.

The bill now heads to the State Senate for a full debate and vote.