BILL ANALYSIS


                                                        S.B. 1707
                                                      By: Ratliff
                                                    State Affairs
                                                           5-8-95
                                       Committee Report (Amended)
BACKGROUND

Motor vehicle accident reports are available to anyone wishing to
view or obtain the report.  A common practice of certain for-profit
organizations, especially in urban areas, is to obtain the names
and addresses of accident victims and sell the lists to groups who
then contact the victims for the purpose of solicitation.  

PURPOSE

As proposed, S.B. 1707 sets forth information that a person is
required to provide the Texas Department of Transportation or the
law enforcement agency making the report of an accident in order to
release a copy of the accident report.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not grant any
additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or
agency.

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1. Amends and reenacts Section 47, Article 6701d, V.T.C.S.
(Uniform Act Regulating Traffic on Highways), as follows:

     Sec. 47.  ACCIDENT REPORTS.  (a) Makes a nonsubstantive
     change.
     
     (b) Requires the Texas Department of Transportation
       (department) or a law enforcement agency employing a peace
       officer who made an accident report to release a copy of the
       report to certain entities, but deletes the provision
       requiring the report to be released for the 180-day period
       after the date of an accident.  Requires the department or
       law enforcement agency to release the report on request to
       a person who provides the department or the agency with
       certain information, rather than various persons
       representing or related to the persons in the accident or
       who may have damage or liability as a result of the
       accident.  Requires, rather than authorizes the department
       or law enforcement agency to request information to
       determine whether the person or entity requesting
       information is eligible to receive such information.   Makes
       conforming changes.
       
       (c) Redesignates existing Subsection (d).  Deletes existing
       Subsection (c) providing that after a certain time period,
       an accident is a public record.
       
       (d) Redesignates existing Subsection (e).  Deletes a
       provision requiring all fees collected by the department to
       be placed in the Operators and Chauffeurs License Fund. 
       Deletes existing Subsection (f).
       
SECTION 2. Effective date: September 1, 1995.

SECTION 3. Emergency clause.