LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- More than 1 million Hoosiers have a suspended driver's license. And about 80% of those cases are tied-up in fees that people can't afford to pay.
Now, Indiana lawmakers are creating a program to help put drivers back on the road.
House Bill 1199 focuses on minor infractions like traffic tickets or driving with a suspended license. After a while, fees start to pile up and licenses get taken away. But because people still need to get places, they keep driving illegally.
"This is a great bill. It actually helps people. It's one of the few times we are not punishing people, we are actually going out of our way to help people drive legally, go to work, pay taxes and those kind of things," Michael Moore, with the Indiana Public Defender Council, said.
The bill would give drivers the chance to drive legally once again, but they have to prove future financial responsibility. The suspension will then be terminated. Drivers do not have to pay a reinstatement fee. It does not cover violent offenders or people charged with DUIs.
It was passed by a committee unanimously and now heads to the Senate.
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