BILL ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 3212

By: Sherman, Sr.

Licensing & Administrative Procedures

Committee Report (Substituted)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Street racing is a serious, life-threatening behavior that brings with it potential criminal charges. Despite this, it has been noted that many driver education and safety courses do not include any instruction on the potential dangers and consequences of street racing. C.S.H.B. 3212 seeks to ensure that drivers know the dangers of street racing by requiring that this topic be addressed in driver education and safety courses.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that rulemaking authority is expressly granted to the Texas Commission of Licensing and Regulation in SECTION 1 of this bill.

ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 3212 amends the Education Code to require the Texas Commission of Licensing and Regulation (TCLR), by rule and not later than May 1, 2022, to require that information relating to the dangers and consequences of street racing in violation of applicable state law be included in the curriculum of each driver education and driving safety course. The bill requires each provider of a driver education course or a driving safety course to certify to TCLR, not later than September 1, 2022, that the course curriculum has been updated to include that information.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2021.

COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL AND SUBSTITUTE

While C.S.H.B. 3212 may differ from the original in minor or nonsubstantive ways, the following summarizes the substantial differences between the introduced and committee substitute versions of the bill.

The substitute changes the deadline for adopting the rules from March 1, 2022, to May 1, 2022.

The substitute does not include a requirement for each provider to submit the newly adopted curriculum to TCLR for approval. The substitute includes a requirement for each provider instead to certify to TCLR that its course curriculum has been updated to comply with the bill's requirements.