Jim Sensenbrenner: “Mr. Speaker, H.R. 2155 helps prevent drunk driving at and around our borders. The bill authorizes INS inspectors at the…”

“Mr. Speaker, H.R. 2155 helps prevent drunk driving at and around our borders. The bill authorizes INS inspectors at the border to take drunk or drugged drivers into custody based on their impaired state. Currently, border inspectors do not have the authority to do so other than as private citizens making arrests. Typically, inspectors now have to alert State or local law enforcement that an impaired driver is headed their way, wave impaired drivers through the port of entry, and hope that State or local law enforcement will pick them up before the driver does any harm. This bill makes it a Federal crime for a person to operate a motor vehicle at a land border patrol entry in an impaired manner because of the presence or drugs or alcohol. The bill deems any such driver to have given consent to submit to a chemical test by the INS to determine the presence or concentration of alcohol or drug in the driver's body. The bill authorizes INS inspectors at land border ports of entry to perform chemical tests upon drivers if the INS has reasonable grounds to believe that a driver is dangerous because of a drug or alcohol in the driver's body.”