New York State STOP-DWI Legislation Signed Into Law

On October 20th, it was announced that legislation was signed into law in New York State to increase support for local STOP-DWI programs.

Introduced by Assemblywoman Donna Lupardo, and sponsored by Fred Akshar when he was a New York State Senator, along with Senator Tim Kennedy, this legislation was over 10 years in the making.

According to Donna Lupardo's Office, the Stop-DWI program provides New York State counties with resources to reduce DWIs, but in recent years, local programs haven't received the resources needed to keep pace with the demand.

Local STOP-DWI programs are crucial to safe roads and safe communities. Over the years, funding has been diverted from these programs, putting essential services like sobriety checkpoints and driver rehabilitation programs at risk. At the same time, our state faces new challenges, including the opioid crisis and designer drug use. I’d like to thank Governor Hochul for signing our legislation into law and for restoring the funding our STOP-DWI programs from across the state need. - NYS Asssemblywoman Donna Lupardo

 

New York State Governor Kathy Hochul signed the legislation into law on October 18, which redirects two mandatory surcharges associated with impaired driving offenses directly to county STOP-DWI programs, rather than to the State’s general fund.

This change will create funds for checkpoints and increased patrols during State crackdown periods, along with overtime for local police agencies, and will help support rehabilitation programs, plus public awareness campaigns.
 

From my time as a young cop on the street performing DWI patrols to eventually administrating the program and coordinating the shifts as a Captain, I saw firsthand the important role the STOP-DWI plays as a preemptive tool to help keep communities safe and get dangerous drivers off the road to prevent avoidable tragedy. During my time as State Senator, I was proud to help support this program by securing the resources needed for volunteers, advocates, and law enforcement to spread awareness and save lives. As Sheriff, I’m proud to continue partnering with Assemblywoman Lupardo, who has remained steadfast in supporting the lifesaving work of this program. -  Broome County Sheriff Fred Akshar