45th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - first session, 2001

RELATING TO BOATING; ENACTING THE BOATING WHILE INTOXICATED ACT; PRESCRIBING PENALTIES FOR OPERATING A MOTORBOAT WHILE UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF ALCOHOL OR DRUGS; AUTHORIZING TESTING OF A PERSON'S BLOOD OR BREATH FOR ALCOHOL OR DRUGS; AMENDING AND ENACTING SECTIONS OF THE NMSA 1978.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO:

Section 1. [NEW MATERIAL] SHORT TITLE.--Sections 1 through 11 of this act may be cited as the "Boating While Intoxicated Act".

Section 2. [NEW MATERIAL] DEFINITIONS.--As used in the Boating While Intoxicated Act:

A. "bodily injury" means an injury to a person that is not likely to cause death or great bodily harm to the person, but does cause painful temporary disfigurement or temporary loss or impairment of the functions of any member or organ of the person's body;

B. "conviction" means an adjudication of guilt and does not include imposition of a sentence;

C. "motorboat" means any boat, personal watercraft or other type of vessel that is powered by a motor. "Motorboat" does not include a houseboat or any other vessel that is moored on the water, but that is not moving on the water; and

D. "operate" means to physically handle the controls of a motorboat that is moving on the water.

Section 3. [NEW MATERIAL] OPERATING A MOTORBOAT WHILE UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF INTOXICATING LIQUOR OR DRUGS.--

A. It is unlawful for a person who is under the influence of intoxicating liquor to operate a motorboat.

B. It is unlawful for a person who is under the influence of any drug to a degree that renders him incapable of safely operating a motorboat to operate a motorboat.

C. It is unlawful for a person who has an alcohol concentration of eight hundredths or more in his blood or breath to operate a motorboat.

D. Aggravated boating while under the influence of intoxicating liquor or drugs consists of a person who:

(1) has an alcohol concentration of sixteen hundredths or more in his blood or breath while operating a motorboat;

(2) has caused bodily injury to a human being as a result of the unlawful operation of a motorboat while under the influence of intoxicating liquor or drugs; or

(3) refused to submit to chemical testing, as provided for in the Boating While Intoxicated Act, and in the judgment of the court, based upon evidence of intoxication presented to the court, was under the influence of intoxicating liquor or drugs.

E. Every person under first conviction under this section shall be punished, notwithstanding the provisions of Section 31-18-13 NMSA 1978, by imprisonment for not more than ninety days or by a fine of not more than five hundred dollars ($500), or both; provided that if the sentence is suspended in whole or in part or deferred, the period of probation may extend beyond ninety days but shall not exceed one year. The offender shall be ordered by the court to attend a boating safety course approved by the national association of state boating law administrators. In addition to those penalties, when an offender commits aggravated boating while under the influence of intoxicating liquor or drugs, the offender shall be sentenced to not less than forty-eight consecutive hours in jail. On a first conviction under this section, any time spent in jail for the offense prior to the conviction for that offense shall be credited to any term of imprisonment fixed by the court. A deferred sentence under this subsection shall be considered a first conviction for the purpose of determining subsequent convictions.

F. A second or subsequent conviction under this section shall be punished, notwithstanding the provisions of Section 31-18-13 NMSA 1978, by imprisonment for not more than three hundred sixty-four days or by a fine of not more than five hundred dollars ($500), or both; provided that if the sentence is suspended in whole or in part, the period of probation may extend beyond one year but shall not exceed five years. The offender shall be ordered by the court to attend a boating safety course approved by the national association of state boating law administrators. In addition to those penalties, when an offender commits aggravated boating while under the influence of intoxicating liquor or drugs, the offender shall be sentenced to not less than forty-eight consecutive hours in jail.

Section 4. [NEW MATERIAL] GUILTY PLEAS--LIMITATIONS.--When a complaint or information alleges a violation of Section 3 of the Boating While Intoxicated Act, any plea of guilty thereafter entered in satisfaction of the charges shall include at least a plea of guilty to the violation of one of the subsections of Section 3 of that act, and no other disposition by plea of guilty to any other charge in satisfaction of the charge shall be authorized if the results of a test performed pursuant to that act disclose that the blood or breath of the person charged contains an alcohol concentration of eight hundredths or more.

Section 5. [NEW MATERIAL] MUNICIPAL AND COUNTY ORDINANCES--UNLAWFUL ALCOHOL CONCENTRATION LEVEL FOR BOATING WHILE UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF INTOXICATING LIQUOR OR DRUGS.--No municipal or county ordinance prohibiting the operation of a motorboat while under the influence of intoxicating liquor or drugs shall be enacted that provides for an unlawful alcohol concentration level that is different than the alcohol concentration levels provided in Section 3 of the Boating While Intoxicated Act.

Section 6. [NEW MATERIAL] BLOOD ALCOHOL TESTS--PERSONS QUALIFIED TO PERFORM TESTS--RELIEF FROM CIVIL AND CRIMINAL LIABILITY.--Only a physician, licensed professional or practical nurse or laboratory technician or technologist employed by a hospital or physician shall withdraw blood from any person in the performance of a blood-alcohol or drug test. No such physician, nurse, technician or technologist who withdraws blood from any person in the performance of a blood-alcohol or drug test that has been directed by any law enforcement officer, or by any judicial or probation officer, shall be held liable in any civil or criminal action for assault, battery, false imprisonment or any conduct of a law enforcement officer, except for negligence, nor shall any person assisting in the performance of such a test, or any hospital wherein blood is withdrawn in the performance of such a test, be subject to civil or criminal liability for assault, battery, false imprisonment or any conduct of any law enforcement officer, except for negligence.

Section 7. [NEW MATERIAL] BLOOD-ALCOHOL TEST--LAW ENFORCEMENT, JUDICIAL OR PROBATION OFFICER UNAUTHORIZED TO MAKE ARREST OR DIRECT TEST EXCEPT IN PERFORMANCE OF OFFICIAL DUTIES AUTHORIZED BY LAW.--Nothing in the Boating While Intoxicated Act is intended to authorize any law enforcement officer, or any judicial or probation officer, to make any arrest or direct the performance of a blood-alcohol or drug test, except in the performance of his official duties or as otherwise authorized by law.

Section 8. [NEW MATERIAL] IMPLIED CONSENT TO SUBMIT TO CHEMICAL TEST.--

A. Any person who operates a motorboat within this state shall be deemed to have given consent, subject to the provisions of the Boating While Intoxicated Act, to chemical tests of his breath or blood or both, approved by the scientific laboratory division of the department of health pursuant to the provisions of Section 24-1-22 NMSA 1978 as determined by a law enforcement officer, or for the purposes of determining the drug or alcohol content of his blood if arrested for any offense arising out of acts alleged to have been committed while the person was operating a motorboat while under the influence of an intoxicating liquor or drug.

B. A test of blood or breath or both, approved by the scientific laboratory division of the department of health pursuant to the provisions of Section 24-1-22 NMSA 1978, shall be administered at the direction of a law enforcement officer having reasonable grounds to believe the person to have been operating a motorboat while under the influence of an intoxicating liquor or drug.

Section 9. [NEW MATERIAL] CONSENT OF PERSON INCAPABLE OF REFUSAL NOT WITHDRAWN.--Any person who is dead, unconscious or otherwise in a condition rendering him incapable of refusal shall be deemed not to have withdrawn the consent provided by the Boating While Intoxicated Act, and the test designated by the law enforcement officer may be administered.

Section 10. [NEW MATERIAL] ADMINISTRATION OF CHEMICAL TEST--PAYMENT OF COSTS--ADDITIONAL TESTS.--

A. Only the persons authorized by the Boating While Intoxicated Act shall withdraw blood from any person for the purpose of determining its alcohol or drug content. This limitation does not apply to the taking of samples of breath.

B. The person tested shall be advised by the law enforcement officer of the person's right to be given an opportunity to arrange for a physician, licensed professional or practical nurse or laboratory technician or technologist who is employed by a hospital or physician of his own choosing to perform a chemical test in addition to any test performed at the direction of a law enforcement officer.

C. Upon the request of the person tested, full information concerning the test performed at the direction of the law enforcement officer shall be made available to him as soon as it is available from the person performing the test.

D. The agency represented by the law enforcement officer at whose direction the chemical test is performed shall pay for the chemical test.

E. If a person exercises his right under Subsection B of this section to have a chemical test performed upon him by a person of his own choosing, the cost of that test shall be paid by the agency represented by the law enforcement officer at whose direction a chemical test was administered under Section 8 of the Boating While Intoxicated Act.

Section 11. [NEW MATERIAL] USE OF TESTS IN CRIMINAL OR CIVIL ACTIONS--LEVELS OF INTOXICATION--MANDATORY CHARGING.--

A. The results of a test performed pursuant to the Boating While Intoxicated Act may be introduced into evidence in any civil action or criminal action arising out of the acts alleged to have been committed by the person tested for operating a motorboat while under the influence of intoxicating liquor or drugs.

B. When the blood or breath of the person tested contains:

(1) an alcohol concentration of five hundredths or less, it shall be presumed that the person was not under the influence of intoxicating liquor; or

(2) an alcohol concentration of more than five hundredths but less than eight hundredths, no presumption shall be made that the person either was or was not under the influence of intoxicating liquor. However, the amount of alcohol in the person's blood may be considered with other competent evidence in determining whether the person was under the influence of intoxicating liquor.

C. When the blood or breath of the person tested contains an alcohol concentration of eight hundredths or more, the arresting officer shall charge him with a violation of Section 3 of the Boating While Intoxicated Act.

D. The determination of alcohol concentration shall be based on the grams of alcohol in one hundred milliliters of blood or the grams of alcohol in two hundred ten liters of breath.

E. The presumptions in Subsection B of this section do not limit the introduction of other competent evidence concerning whether the person was under the influence of intoxicating liquor.

F. If a person is convicted of operating a motorboat while under the influence of intoxicating liquor or drugs, the trial judge shall be required to inquire into past convictions of the person for operating a motorboat while under the influence of intoxicating liquor or drugs before sentence is entered in the matter.

Section 12. Section 24-1-22 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1981, Chapter 165, Section 1) is amended to read:

"24-1-22. SCIENTIFIC LABORATORY DIVISION--TESTING METHODS--CERTIFICATION.--

A. The scientific laboratory division of the [health and environment] department of health is authorized to promulgate and approve satisfactory techniques or methods to test persons believed to be operating a motor vehicle, a motorboat or vessel or manipulating any water skis, surfboard or similar device while under the influence of drugs or alcohol and to issue certification for operators and their instructors [which] that shall be subject to termination or revocation at the discretion of the scientific laboratory division. The scientific laboratory division is further authorized to establish or approve quality control measures for alcohol breath testing and to establish or approve standards of training necessary to assure the qualifications of individuals conducting these analyses or collections.

B. The scientific laboratory division [will] shall establish criteria and specifications for equipment, training, quality control, testing methodology, blood-breath relationships and the certification of operators, instructors and collectors of breath samples.

C. All laboratories analyzing breath, blood or urine samples pursuant to the provisions of the Implied Consent Act and the Boating While Intoxicated Act shall be certified by the scientific laboratory division. The certification shall be granted in accordance with the rules and regulations of the scientific laboratory division and shall be subject to termination or revocation for cause."

Section 13. Section 66-12-11 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1959, Chapter 338, Section 10, as amended) is amended to read:

"66-12-11. PROHIBITED OPERATION.--[A.] No person shall operate any motorboat or vessel or manipulate any water skis, surfboard or similar device in a reckless or negligent manner so as to endanger the life or property of any person.

[B. No person shall operate any motorboat or vessel or manipulate any water skis, surfboard or similar device while intoxicated or under the influence of any narcotic drug, barbiturate or marijuana.]"

Section 14. EFFECTIVE DATE.--The effective date of the provisions of this act is July 1, 2001.