By:  McCall                                            H.B. No. 826
       73R4012 DWS-D
                                 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
    1-1                                AN ACT
    1-2  relating to the period for renewal and fee for a driver's license.
    1-3        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
    1-4        SECTION 1.  Section 12(e)(1), Chapter 173, Acts of the 47th
    1-5  Legislature, Regular Session, 1941 (Article 6687b, Vernon's Texas
    1-6  Civil Statutes), is amended to read as follows:
    1-7        (1)  The Department may issue a special restricted operator's
    1-8  license to any person between the ages of fifteen (15) and eighteen
    1-9  (18) years to operate only a motorcycle or motor-driven cycle, with
   1-10  not more than one hundred twenty-five (125) cc piston displacement;
   1-11  provided such person has completed and passed a motorcycle operator
   1-12  training course approved by the Department and the person has
   1-13  obtained a high school diploma or its equivalent or is a student
   1-14  enrolled in a public or private school who attended school for at
   1-15  least 80 days in the fall or spring semester preceding the date of
   1-16  application, or has been enrolled for at least 45 days, and is
   1-17  currently enrolled, in a program to prepare persons to pass the
   1-18  high school equivalency exam. This motorcycle operator training
   1-19  course will be made available.  This motorcycle operator training
   1-20  course will be an exception to the driver training course,
   1-21  regarding the age limit, as applied in Section 7(a) of this Act.
   1-22  Upon reaching the age of sixteen (16) and having completed the
   1-23  above course, the 125cc restriction shall be removed without
   1-24  completing any further motorcycle courses.  This special restricted
    2-1  license shall be issued on application to the Department in
    2-2  accordance with Section 7 of this Act; shall be subject to the
    2-3  requirements of Section 10 of this Act, and to other provisions of
    2-4  this Act in the same manner as operator's licenses; and shall be in
    2-5  the form prescribed by the Department.  A driver's license is
    2-6  required for operators of mopeds.  A person must be at least
    2-7  fifteen (15) years old to be issued a license to operate a moped.
    2-8  The Department shall examine applicants for that type of license by
    2-9  administering to them a written examination concerning traffic laws
   2-10  applicable to the operation of mopeds.  No test involving the
   2-11  operation of the vehicle is required.  The fee for the license is
   2-12  Twenty Dollars ($20.00) <Sixteen Dollars ($16)>.  All applicable
   2-13  provisions of this Act governing restricted operator's licenses for
   2-14  the operation of motorcycles only also apply to moped operator's
   2-15  licenses, including provisions relating to the application,
   2-16  issuance, duration, suspension, and cancellation of those licenses.
   2-17        SECTION 2.  Sections 18(a) and (b), Chapter 173, Acts of the
   2-18  47th Legislature, Regular Session, 1941 (Article 6687b, Vernon's
   2-19  Texas Civil Statutes), are amended to read as follows:
   2-20        (a)  All original driver's and provisional licenses shall be
   2-21  dated to expire as follows:
   2-22              (1)  Driver's License--on the next birthdate of the
   2-23  licensee occurring five (5) <four (4)> years after the date of
   2-24  application;
   2-25              (2)  Provisional License--on the eighteenth (18th)
   2-26  birthdate of the licensee or the next birthdate of the licensee
   2-27  occurring after the date of application, whichever is earlier;
    3-1              (3)  Instruction Permit--on the next birthdate of
    3-2  holder occurring after the date of application; and
    3-3              (4)  Occupational License--one (1) year from date of
    3-4  order of court granting authority to drive.
    3-5        (b)  All renewals of driver's licenses shall be dated to
    3-6  expire five (5) <four (4)> years from expiration date appearing on
    3-7  current license.
    3-8        SECTION 3.  Section 19(a), Chapter 173, Acts of the 47th
    3-9  Legislature, Regular Session, 1941 (Article 6687b, Vernon's Texas
   3-10  Civil Statutes), as amended by Chapters 821 and 842, Acts of the
   3-11  71st Legislature, Regular Session, 1989, is amended to read as
   3-12  follows:
   3-13        (a)  The fees as provided for in this Act shall be as
   3-14  follows:
   3-15              (1)  All Classes of Licenses--originals and renewals
   3-16  issued for five (5) years, Twenty Dollars ($20.00) <four (4) years,
   3-17  Sixteen Dollars ($16.00)>, except as provided for in Subdivision
   3-18  (2) of this subsection;
   3-19              (2)  Class M License--originals issued for five (5)
   3-20  years, Twenty Dollars ($20.00) <four (4) years, Sixteen Dollars
   3-21  ($16.00)>; renewals issued for five (5) years, Twenty-five Dollars
   3-22  ($25.00) <four (4) years, Twenty-one Dollars ($21.00)>;
   3-23              (3)  Provisional and Instruction (Learner's)
   3-24  License--issued for one (1) year or less, Five Dollars ($5.00);
   3-25              (4)  Occupational License--Ten Dollars ($10.00) for one
   3-26  (1) year.
   3-27        SECTION 4.  This Act applies only to a license issued or
    4-1  renewed on or after the effective date of this Act.
    4-2        SECTION 5.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1993.
    4-3        SECTION 6.  The importance of this legislation and the
    4-4  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
    4-5  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
    4-6  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
    4-7  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.