Submitted by: Roadway Safety Committee

WHEREAS, impaired driving has a profound impact on society and public safety in terms of grievous injuries, senseless death, and significant property damage; and with poly-substance impaired driving fatal crashes increasing, and

WHEREAS, the growing number of states and countries legalizing and/or decriminalizing cannabis, psychedelics, other impairing substances and the poly-substance abuse crisis has given rise to increased concerns related to the appropriate detection, investigation, prosecution, and adjudication of drug-impaired driving, and

WHEREAS, the inability to obtain a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) test result or evidence of drug use, (especially in cases of refusal) effectively impedes or negates an officers’ ability to gather crucial and intensely time-sensitive evidence in the form of blood or other bodily fluids, and

WHEREAS, the establishment and implementation of electronic warrant (eWarrant) programs to compel blood draws or samples of other bodily fluids have proven timely and successful in several jurisdictions (Responsibility.org, A Guide to Implementing Electronic Warrants, 2018; and NHTSA, Practices for Implementing Expedited Search Warrant Programs for Obtaining Evidence From Impaired Drivers, 2021), utilizing a variety of technology based systems to quickly and accurately obtain evidence in the violent crime of impaired driving, and

WHEREAS, in recognition of the technology available to law enforcement agencies, and research by NHTSA, Responsibility.org and the Justice Management Institute clearly identifies a spectrum of eWarrant systems that can assist jurisdictions in their fight against impaired driving; including recommended legislative framework, planning and design, partner engagement, funding, policy and operations, and metrics to assess goals, be it

RESOLVED, that the IACP supports the development, implementation, and legislative engagement of eWarrant systems by law enforcement agencies and prosecutors to assist in timely collection of evidence to enhance prosecution of impaired driving cases, and ultimately assist in the detection and prevention of injury and death on our nation’s roadways.