HB0120 • 2023

Traffic stops-probable cause.

AN ACT relating to motor vehicles; prohibiting law enforcement officers from requesting that vehicle occupants exit vehicles as specified; providing exceptions; and providing for an effective date.

Crime

Inactive

Wyoming marks this bill as inactive, which usually means it is no longer moving in the current session.

Sponsor: Representative Zwonitzer, Dn
Last action: 2023-02-07
Official status: inactive
Effective date: 3/1/2023

Plain English Breakdown

The effective date mentioned in the candidate explanation (3/1/2023) does not match the official bill text's effective date of July 1, 2023.

Rules for Traffic Stops

The bill sets rules for when police can ask people to leave their cars during traffic stops.

What This Bill Does

Creates a new law that says police officers cannot make drivers or passengers get out of their car unless certain conditions are met.
Lists four situations where police can still ask someone to exit the vehicle: if there's probable cause for a crime, if there is a search warrant, if there is an arrest warrant, or if the person in the car is at risk of harm.

Who It Names or Affects

Police officers who make traffic stops
Drivers and passengers involved in traffic stops

Terms To Know

Probable cause: Reasonable grounds to believe that a crime has been or is being committed.
Search warrant: A legal document allowing police to search a place for evidence of a crime.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill does not specify what happens if the police officer makes an honest mistake and asks someone to leave their car.
It is unclear how this law will be enforced or what consequences officers might face for breaking it.
This bill was marked as inactive, meaning it did not move forward in its current session.

Bill History

2023-02-07 House
H:Died in Committee Returned Bill Pursuant to HR 5-4
2023-02-07 House
H No report prior to CoW Cutoff
2023-01-17 House
H Introduced and Referred to H08 - Transportation
2023-01-12 House
H Received for Introduction
2023-01-12 LSO
Bill Number Assigned

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

23LSO-0160
2023
STATE OF WYOMING
23LSO-0160
Numbered
2.0

HOUSE BILL NO. HB0120

Traffic stops-probable cause.

Sponsored by: Representative(s) Zwonitzer, Dn, Allemand, Andrew, Berger, Haroldson, Provenza and Ward and Senator(s) Case, Driskill and McKeown

A BILL

for

AN ACT relating to motor vehicles; prohibiting law enforcement officers from requesting that vehicle occupants exit vehicles as specified; providing exceptions; and providing for an effective date.

Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Wyoming:

Section 1
.

W.S. 31
‑
5
‑
1215 is created to read:

31
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5
‑
1215.

Peace officer protocol for traffic stops.

(a)

A peace officer, as defined by W.S. 7
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2
‑
101(a)(iv), shall not request that the driver or occupant of a vehicle exit the vehicle during a traffic stop unless:

(i)

The peace officer has probable cause to believe that the driver or occupant of the vehicle is committing, or fleeing the scene of, a crime that is punishable by imprisonment or that the driver or occupant may be arrested pursuant to W.S. 7
‑
20
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102;

(ii)

The peace officer has been notified of a search warrant for the vehicle or that a warrant has been issued for the arrest of the driver or occupant of the vehicle;

(iii)

The peace officer has been notified that the driver or occupant of the vehicle has committed a crime outside the state pursuant to the requirements of W.S. 7
‑
3
‑
214; or

(iv)

The driver or occupant of the vehicle is in immediate danger of bodily harm if they remain in the vehicle.

(b)

If a peace officer violates this section, any evidence of a crime discovered pursuant to the violation shall be suppressed in any subsequent criminal proceeding against the driver or occupant of the vehicle.

Section 2
.

This act is effective July 1, 2023
.

(END)

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HB0120