A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT to provide for the seizure, forfeiture, and sale of motor vehicles used by defendants in felony cases involving speeding to elude arrest.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1.  G.S. 20‑28.3 reads as rewritten:
"§ 20‑28.3.  Seizure, impoundment, forfeiture of motor vehicles for offenses involving impaired driving while license revoked or without license and insurance, and for felony speeding to elude arrest.
(a)	Motor Vehicles Subject to Seizure for Impaired Driving Offenses. – A motor vehicle that is driven by a person who is charged with an offense involving impaired driving is subject to seizure if:
(1)	At the time of the violation, the drivers license of the person driving the motor vehicle was revoked as a result of a prior impaired driving license revocation as defined in G.S. 20‑28.2(a); or
(2)	At the time of the violation:
a.	The person was driving without a valid drivers license, and
b.	The driver was not covered by an automobile liability policy.
For the purposes of this subsection, a person who has a complete defense, pursuant to G.S. 20‑35, to a charge of driving without a drivers license, shall be considered to have had a valid drivers license at the time of the violation.
(a1)	Motor Vehicles Subject to Seizure for Felony Speeding to Elude Arrest. – A motor vehicle is subject to seizure if it is driven by a person who is charged with the offense of felony speeding to elude arrest pursuant to G.S. 20‑141.5(b).
(b)	Duty of Officer. – If the charging officer has probable cause to believe that a motor vehicle driven by the defendant may be subject to forfeiture under this section, the officer shall seize the motor vehicle and have it impounded. If the officer determines prior to seizure that the motor vehicle had been reported stolen, the officer shall not seize the motor vehicle pursuant to this section. If the officer determines prior to seizure that the motor vehicle was a rental vehicle driven by a person not listed as an authorized driver on the rental contract, the officer shall not seize the motor vehicle pursuant to this section, but shall make a reasonable effort to notify the owner of the rental vehicle that the vehicle was stopped and that the driver of the vehicle was not listed as an authorized driver on the rental contract. Probable cause may be based on the officer's personal knowledge, reliable information conveyed by another officer, records of the Division, or other reliable sources. The seizing officer shall notify the Division as soon as practical but no later than 24 hours after seizure of the motor vehicle of the seizure in accordance with procedures established by the executive agency designated under subsection (b1) of this section.
(b1)	Written Notification of Impoundment. – Within 48 hours of receipt within regular business hours of the notice of seizure, the Division shall issue written notification of impoundment to any lienholder of record and to any motor vehicle owner who was not operating the motor vehicle at the time of the offense. A notice of seizure received outside regular business hours shall be considered to have been received at the start of the next business day. The notification of impoundment shall be sent by first‑class mail to the most recent address contained in the Division's records. If the motor vehicle is registered in another state, notice shall be sent to the address shown on the records of the state where the motor vehicle is registered. This written notification shall provide notice that the motor vehicle has been seized, state the reason for the seizure and the procedure for requesting release of the motor vehicle. Additionally, if the motor vehicle was damaged while the operator was committing an offense resulting in seizure or incident to the seizure, the Division shall issue written notification of the seizure to the owner's insurance company of record and to any other insurance companies that may be insuring other motor vehicles involved in the accident. The Division shall prohibit title to a seized motor vehicle from being transferred by a motor vehicle owner unless authorized by court order.
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(k)	County Board of Education Right to Appear and Participate in Proceedings. – The attorney for the county board of education shall be given notice of all proceedings regarding offenses related to a motor vehicle subject to forfeiture under this section. However, the notice requirement under this subsection does not apply to proceedings conducted under G.S. 20‑28.3(e1). The attorney for the county board of education shall also have the right to appear and to be heard on all issues relating to the seizure, possession, release, forfeiture, sale, and other matters related to the seized vehicle under this section. With the prior consent of the county board of education, the district attorney may delegate to the attorney for the county board of education any or all of the duties of the district attorney under this section. Clerks of superior court, law enforcement agencies, and all other agencies with information relevant to the seizure, impoundment, release, or forfeiture of motor vehicles are authorized and directed to provide county boards of education with access to that information and to do so by electronic means when existing technology makes this type of transmission possible.
(l)	Payment of Fees Upon Conviction. – If the driver of a motor vehicle seized pursuant to this section is convicted of the underlying offense leading to the seizure of a motor vehicle pursuant to this section, the defendant shall be ordered to pay as restitution to the county board of education, the motor vehicle owner, or the lienholder the cost paid or owing for the towing, storage, and sale of the motor vehicle to the extent the costs were not covered by the proceeds from the forfeiture and sale of the motor vehicle. If the underlying offense is for felony speeding to elude arrest pursuant to G.S. 20‑141.5(b), and the conviction is based on a plea agreement or a reduced charge to misdemeanor speeding to elude arrest pursuant to G.S. 20‑141.5(a), the defendant shall be ordered to pay as restitution to the county board of education, the motor vehicle owner, or the lienholder the cost paid or owing for the towing and storage of the motor vehicle. In addition, a civil judgment for the costs under this section in favor of the party to whom the restitution is owed shall be docketed by the clerk of superior court. If the defendant is sentenced to an active term of imprisonment, the civil judgment shall become effective and be docketed when the defendant's conviction becomes final. If the defendant is placed on probation, the civil judgment in the amount found by a judge during the probation revocation or termination hearing to be due shall become effective and be docketed by the clerk when the defendant's probation is revoked or terminated.
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SECTION 2.  G.S. 20‑141.5 reads as rewritten:
"§ 20‑141.5.  Speeding to elude arrest.
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(f)	Each law enforcement agency shall adopt a policy applicable to the pursuit of fleeing or eluding motorists. Each policy adopted pursuant to this subsection shall specifically include factors to be considered by an officer in determining when to initiate or terminate a pursuit. The Attorney General shall develop a model policy or policies to be considered for use by law enforcement agencies.
(g)	If a person is convicted of a violation of subsection (b) of this section, the motor vehicle that was driven by the defendant at the time the defendant committed the offense of felony speeding to elude arrest becomes property subject to forfeiture in accordance with the procedure set out in G.S. 20‑28.3. In applying the procedure set out in G.S. 20‑28.3, an owner or a holder of a security interest is considered an innocent party with respect to a motor vehicle subject to forfeiture under this subsection if the defendant drove the motor vehicle without the consent of the owner or the holder of the security interest."
SECTION 3.  This act becomes effective October 1, 2011, and applies to offenses committed on or after that date.