BILL ANALYSIS

Senate Research Center	H.B. 1275
88R19045 AJZ-D	By: Plesa et al. (Hughes)
	Transportation
	5/2/2023
	Engrossed

AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

Many seniors surrender their driver's licenses when they are no longer able to drive, leaving them virtually without any government-issued ID. The Department of Public Safety of the State of Texas (DPS) can have months-long waiting lists for in-person appointments. Outside of driving, seniors need their ID for medical care, benefits enrollment, banking, travel, prescriptions, and library cards. From long waits to receive an appointment, to increased dependence on family members for travel, applying for state-issued ID creates a preventable burden on our senior Texans and their sense of independence.

H.B. 1275 would remove barriers for disabled and homebound seniors by allowing them to receive secure state-issued personal IDs by phone or through the DPS website. H.B. 1275 would expand DPS's capacity to assist the ID conversion process for seniors and be used to periodically update their personal information. H.B. 1275 also allows DPS to prescribe a procedure for disabled and homebound seniors to voluntarily surrender their driver's license.

H.B. 1275 amends current law relating to procedures for the issuance of personal identification certificates to certain persons 65 years of age or older whose driver's licenses are surrendered.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency.

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1. Amends Section 521.101, Transportation Code, by adding Subsection (n), as follows:

(n) Requires the Department of Public Safety of the State of Texas (DPS) to adopt procedures to allow a person who is 65 years of age or older and possesses a driver's license that is compliant with the federal REAL ID program to apply for a personal identification certificate online or by phone if the person surrenders the person's driver's license in a manner prescribed by DPS. Provides that the procedures:

(1) are required to be in compliance with federal guidelines governing the issuance of identity documents; and

(2) are authorized to require the person issued a personal identification certificate to update information previously provided to DPS under Section 521.142 (Application for Original License).

SECTION 2. Effective date: September 1, 2023.