Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman has called on state lawmakers to pass a bipartisan reform package that would significantly increase penalties for repeat drunk drivers and vehicular manslaughter.
The legislation, Senate Bill 907, advanced to the State Assembly Public Safety Committee after a unanimous 36-0 vote in the State Senate on May 26, 2026. Authored by Senator Bob Archuleta, a Democrat from Los Angeles, the bill is co-sponsored by Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), the Orange County District Attorney’s Office, and the California Safe Roads Coalition.
A key component of the package is named "Braun’s Law" in memory of Braun Levi, an 18-year-old Loyola High School student who was killed by a repeat drunk driver, Jenia Belt, in Manhattan Beach last year. The provision mandates that any motorist whose DUI charges are dismissed or reduced to a lesser offense must still receive a formal "Watson Warning." This advisory informs drivers that operating a vehicle while intoxicated is inherently dangerous to human life, establishing the legal foundation to file second-degree murder charges if they later cause a fatal crash.
Beyond closing this advisory loophole, SB 907 targets repeat offenders by implementing automatic sentencing enhancements for anyone convicted of a new felony DUI or gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated who has a prior felony conviction. The bill also increases prison sentences for drivers who commit a hit-and-run causing injury or property damage if they have been convicted of an impaired driving violation, a wet reckless charge, or vehicular manslaughter within the preceding 10 years.
Hochman emphasized that this legislation is crucial for public safety and urged the Assembly to act swiftly. The bill now awaits consideration in the Assembly Public Safety Committee.